Illorum Nos Could Non Servo
by brunnettewannabe49643
Summary: When Austria is killed by a mysterious illness that soon spreads across the globe, the countries are forced to work together to stop it. However, they soon realize they are dealing with no ordinary disease... There will also be pairings later on!
1. It Begins With An End

**Hello! Thanks for choosing to read my story! My goal for this fanfic: I want to make you cry, make you laugh, make you say "AAAAWWWWWWW" and make you scream at the computer screen "NOOOOOOO! NOT (enter hetalia character here)!"(Please let me know if I manage to accomplish all of these! :D) But above all, I hope that this will turn out to be a halfway decent story, as I've never written a character death before (why I chose hetalia to write a bunch of death scenes for, I don't know) Anyway, please leave a review after reading! I'll give you pasta! (Okay, maybe imaginary pasta, but pasta nonetheless!)**

Austria tried in vain to focus on the sheet music spread out atop the piano in front of him. The notes all seemed to blend together on the page. His eyesight hadn't been quite correct for some time, although he was sure he simply needed new glasses. Yes, new glasses were the solution.

Looking out the window, Austria suddenly felt an icy chill._ How is it so cold on such a sunny day?_ He wondered as he pulled his dark blue coat tighter around himself. Lately, the temperatures had been quite strange. One moment, Austria would be freezing cold, and the next he felt as though dying of heat. _Maybe…No. I refuse to believe…_

Attempting to play a few more measures, Austria banished the thought from his mind. He cringed as he hit an incorrect key, and his hands grew increasingly shaky as he continued playing. After missing yet another note, Austria threw his music to the floor. As he stared at the scattered pages, they appeared to be laughing at him. Mocking him. The melody written on them seemed to dance around the vast room, its harmonious sound taunting him.

"Quiet!" Austria cried, standing suddenly. As he did so, he began coughing violently, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth. He collapsed, still choking, knocking over the piano bench.

Realizing that this would be his last moment, Austria only had one final thought.

_I hope Hungary will not cry for me._

The black curtain of death consumed Austria.

-Three Days Before-

World Conference Hall

Austria coughed and cleared his throat. He had been feeling strangely unwell for a while. However, being very stuffy and a bit ignorant, Austria brushed it off.

"Hey, Austria!" Prussia said, poking him repeatedly in the side. "That cough doesn't sound too good. You sure you should be here?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Austria stated. Prussia was always poking his nose into things that were not his concern. Then again, he was probably trying to see if he could take control of Austria's vital regions… Again…

_Why must I always sit next to him at these meetings?_ Austria thought. _Though I would hardly call these "meetings"… We never actually talk about any of our problems._

As usual, the meeting quickly spiraled into a worldwide argument. England insulted France's clothing, who retaliated with a remark about England's hair. America, in between hamburgers, brought himself into the debate by making fun of both their accents… Actually, he said he was the only country who didn't have a weird accent, which pretty much brought everyone into the argument. Before long, half the countries were yelling at each other for various reasons.

"ENOUGH!" Germany shouted. "We are obviously not accomplishing anything productive, and I don't see the point in staying here to start another world war. I suggest this meeting should be postponed for a few days, when you people learn to act like adults."

"He started it," France mumbled, gesturing toward England.

Germany glared. "I don't care. We will meet back here in three days."

A murmur of agreement spread through the room. It appeared the only thing everyone could agree on was the fact that nobody could agree on anything. Slowly, all of the countries rose and shuffled out.

Once outside the World Meeting Hall, Austria had another coughing fit, this time harsher than the previous. When he brought his white silk handkerchief from his lips, it was stained a bright red.

"Y'know, most people consider that a bad sign," Austria was startled by the sound of Prussia's voice behind him. As he turned, he stowed the handkerchief in his coat pocket.

"It's nothing," Austria stated bluntly. "And last I checked, you took little interest in my well being, so I would prefer if you kept out of matters that aren't your concern."

"Austria, wait!" As Austria turned to leave, Prussia grabbed his wrist, which resulted in an awkwardly long awkward moment for the two of them.

They stood in silence for a moment, neither knowing exactly what to say to break the awkward atmosphere…

…

…

…

"Unhand me!" Austria hissed, after what seemed like an eternity. He jerked his arm from Prussia's grasp, walking away with long strides. That is, he would have walked away, had Prussia not taken hold of Austria's collar, and pulled him around to the side of the World Meeting Hall.

When finally released, Austria was not amused. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"Okay, at first, I just wanted to see if I could get control of your vital regions again…"

_I knew it._

"But, have you even told Hungary you're not feeling well?"

Austria looked away as if in shame. "There's nothing to tell Hungary about. I'm fine." He stepped around Prussia, wanting to find Hungary and go home.

Prussia once again grabbed the back of Austria's collar. "Oh, really? And how long have you been 'fine'?"

Austria scowled, batting Prussia's hand away. "Will you stop that? It's very annoying."

Prussia contemplated the thought for a moment. "No."

"It's none of your business." As Austria stepped to the right, Prussia mirrored him. He stepped to the left, still having no success evading Prussia. He sighed. "A few days…" he lied, avoiding Prussia's gaze. "Maybe a week or two… I don't know." He swept past Prussia, half expecting to be seized again.

"If you don't tell Hungary, I will," Prussia threatened.

Hungary jumped when she heard a loud crash. Austria's house was very big, so it was almost always quiet, with the exception of music. So, needless to say, she was more than a little startled by the sound.

She set down the dishes she had been cleaning, and wandered the vast manor to investigate. "Austria?" she called, with the echo of her own voice the only reply. She searched every room for the source of the noise, coming finally to the music room.

"Austria, are you in here?" Hungary called softly, approaching the black piano in the center of the room. "I thought I heard someth-"

Looking down, Hungary picked up the pages of music she almost stepped on.

_That's odd…Mr. Austria never leaves music scattered about…_

Stepping forward, she gathered several more sheets of paper. Following the trail with her eyes, her gaze rested on Austria, motionless on the floor.

"Austria!" Hungary cried, rushing to his side, her pale green skirt flowing out around her. "Austria, answer me! Please!" She held his head in her hands. His skin was ghostly pale, and cold as ice. Taking his hand in hers, she felt the fabric of his handkerchief. Taking hold of it, she dropped it when she discovered it was covered in blood.

_No…_ Hungary thought. _He can't be… It's not…Not possible! He can't be dead!_

"Austria, wake up!" she screamed, terrified. "Stop it! This isn't funny! Wake up, please! Just wake up! Austria!"

When Austria still remained motionless, the realization hit Hungary.

Austria…

Austria was…

Austria.

Was.

Dead.

Hungary didn't know what to do. She stayed by his side for the longest time, not wanting to leave him alone. The adamant clanging of the clock soon frightened her, telling her it was noon. The world meeting was starting.

_I can't go… I can't leave him. _Hungary couldn't figure out what she should do.

_I have to go._

_He would want me to._

She fled to her room, to change to her uniform.

**I think I shall end this chapter here. Hopefully the next chapter won't take long to post! Please, please, PLEEEEEEEAAAAAASSSEEEEEEE review! Even if it's to say that my story sucks (I really don't mind criticism, even if it's harsh), or my author's notes are very annoying, or that you imagine Italy's voice when you read them! (Veh~ Pasta!) (Btw, if you actually read to the bottom of this, I love you! XD)**


	2. Threats and Promises

**Hello everyone who read Chapter 1! (Unless you just skipped to this chapter without reading chapter one, which if you did, you are going to be very confused.) Also, thank you to freeflyingspirit, lilsandstorm, and Panda Aru for reviewing! Feel free to redeem your imaginary pasta! (You get more if you review this chapter!) **

"Dude, why don't we just start the meeting already?" America complained to his older brother.

"Because people still aren't here, you bloody wanker!" England snapped.

"It's probably just Canada. He's useless anyway, so we can just start without him!"

"I'm standing right here!" Canada said, his voice naturally quiet. He had been only five feet away from America. "I've been here the entire time! Although you never notice me…"

"Oh…" America realized his mistake. "Uh… Sorry, I guess. I didn't see you."

"Anyway," England interjected, trying to change the subject. "I suppose we should do a roll call, to see exactly who is still missing." He picked up the list of countries.

"Australia?" he called.

"Here, mate!"

"Austri-"

"Hey, dude!" America yelled, eating a hamburger in one bite. "You totally forgot to call me! I'm like, your brother!"

England sighed. _America is always like this. Why does he not have any common sense? _"I already know you're here, America," he replied.

America stuffed another hamburger in his mouth. "You still forgot about me!" he complained.

"Very well. America."

America grinned, showing his perfectly white teeth. "My totally awesome hero self is here!"

"That's a surprise!" England said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Austria?"

…

England looked up from his list, scanning the room. "Okay, no Austria… Belarus?"

"I'm here," she replied, gazing intently at Russia. "I'll always be here, big brother."

"Okay… That's… Not creepy at all…" England continued down the list. By the time he reached Vietnam, neither Austria nor Hungary had come. Everyone, especially Prussia, had grown more than a little concerned about them. However, there was still a meeting to be held.

"Well, I suppose we should start by discussing the issues that were unsolved at our last meeting-"

England was interrupted by the door. Hungary walked in, quickly taking her usual seat, between Italy and the chair reserved for Austria. She kept her head down, clearly not her usual cheerful self.

"Hungary," England said, looking puzzled. "Where is Austria? Doesn't he usually come with you?"

Hungary looked up at England, her bright green eyes threatening tears. "I… A-Austria… He…" she started crying, burying her face in the palms of her hands. The room fell silent, with the exception of Hungary's muffled sobs. England hurried over, and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Hungary, what happened?" he asked softly, bringing Hungary slowly to her feet. "Where is Austria?"

Hungary met England's gaze, her cheeks stained with tears. "Austria…" she began, her voice trembling. She took a slow, deep breath. "Austria… is dead." She started sobbing again.

"I'm… I'm so sorry, Hungary," England said, embracing her sympathetically. The room burst into murmurs of shock and confusion. Prussia said nothing, simply looking at his hands, folded in his lap. Looking across the room, England addressed his fellow countries.

"I think this meeting should be called off, due to more urgent matters. Germany?"

"Yes?"

"You, Switzerland, and I will take care of… Austria. Prussia, will you take Hungary home? I don't want her left alone."

Prussia didn't answer, still staring into his lap.

"Prussia!" Prussia looked up immediately. "Please walk Hungary home." He nodded, standing.

* * *

><p>Prussia and Hungary walked together in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other. It was a little awkward. They were both glad when they reached Hungary and Austria's home.<p>

"Do you want me to stay with you for a while?" Prussia asked.

"I suppose, if you want to…" Hungary couldn't think of anything else to say. Either way, they agreed Prussia would stay. Hungary was surprised to find water on the floor when she opened the door.

"What the…"Stepping inside, she realized the entire first floor was flooded. "Oh no!" she ran off, her feet splashing. "I forgot to turn the water off!"

Prussia chased after her, and the two ended up in the kitchen. Hungary rushed to turn the faucet off, ending the indoor waterfall. "I was doing dishes earlier," she explained. "Austria's going to be furious when he- I mean… Never mind." She looked down at the floor, sadness written on her face. "It was my fault… I should have done something! I mean… He's looked unwell for a while, but he wouldn't tell me what was wrong. I should have known that there was something wrong!" She fell to her knees, causing ripples in the water around her.

"Hey," Prussia said, kneeling beside Hungary. "What happened to Austria wasn't your fault. "Like you said, he hasn't looked good for a while. As for him not telling you, he was kind of an idiot."

"Hey! I don't think that's entirely-"

"And, I mean, there was the blood and all that as you said. It was probably his time-"

Hungary thought about what Prussia told her… And connected the dots…

"Prussia?" She eyed Prussia suspiciously. "I… don't recall saying anything about _how_ Austria died…" She stood quickly, her eyes wide. "Oh my god. You _knew_, didn't you? You _knew!_"

"Uh… well, ah… You see…"

Hungary was furious. "Give me a straight answer, Prussia, or I swear…" She looked around for a quick weapon. Her eyes landed on the nearest object… A cast iron frying pan. She took hold of the implement, threatening Prussia with it. "ANSWER ME!"

Prussia scrambled to stand, slipping on the wet floor. "Uh… Okay! Okay, I knew!" He stepped backwards, not wanting to taste cast iron. Which is understandable. Hungary drew ever nearer, until she finally cornered Prussia. She pressed the frying pan into his chin, as most (normal) people would brandish a sword.

"Just answer me this," she muttered menacingly. "Why did Austria tell you, and not me? Tell me, or suffer the _consequences_."

"Well, uh… It all happened after the meeting a few days ago…"

* * *

><p>"If you don't tell Hungary, I will," Prussia threatened, only half teasing.<p>

Austria stopped in his tracks, his long coat swaying in the breeze. He turned back to face Prussia. "Hungary… Hungary can't know. It would just make her worried about me. I don't want that. I would prefer to die knowing she is happy. In my last moments, I want her to be happy."

For a moment, Prussia seemed only sarcastically concerned. "What do you mean 'last moments'?" he questioned. When Austria said nothing, Prussia's concern became genuine. "Wait, you don't mean to say… you're going to actually… die? That's not possible… Is it?"

Austria, recovering from yet more coughing, took a few deep breaths before responding. "I… I don't know. But ever since the last world meeting, I've had this feeling of dread. I've just felt as though… I'm going to die." Prussia searched Austria's face for some hint of humor, a sign that he was joking, but saw none.

"But…" Prussia muttered. "If you are going to die, shouldn't Hungary know? Don't you think she'd be just a _little_ upset if you just drop dead out of the blue?" Attempting to lighten the mood, Prussia added, "by the way, if you die, I shall claim your vital regions for myself!"

Austria stared at Prussia, obviously not appreciating his humor. "Please, you can't tell Hungary. If I die, I don't want her to know. I don't want her to look at me as if I'm going to die at any second. I want to see her smile, to laugh, just once more. Please, Prussia. I know we have never been friends, and more often than not we try to kill each other, but I'm asking you for this one favor."

Prussia didn't really know what to say. _I don't owe this guy any favors!_ He told himself. _Then again, I did take his vital regions. But he sent Hungary after me for that! She single-handedly took out my entire army…and people wonder why I thought she was a guy…UH… Let's NOT go there…what was I thinking about again?_

"There you are!" a familiar voice called out. Hungary approached the two. "I was looking for you… Oh. I didn't know you were speaking with Prussia…"

Austria smiled at Hungary. "We were just discussing… current affairs," he explained casually. "Nothing serious." He looked back at Prussia, still waiting for his answer.

Prussia nodded once to Austria. "You have my word."

"Thank you," he said, starting home with Hungary. Prussia stood there, watching the two shrink into the distance.

**Omg dramatic scene :) I was going to put another scene in this chapter, but I don't want to make it too long. Please review (if you have any suggestions for things you would like to see in the future, your feedback would be greatly appreciated)! And, if you think about it, convince your friends to read! Again, sorry for very annoying author's notes, but thank you if you actually read to the bottom of the chapter! Veh~ Just fyi, I probably won't be able to update this quickly on a normal basis. I'm trying to keep from getting hopelessly buried… I underestimated how many new fanfics are posted daily. **


	3. A Hard Day For Us All

**Hello all my (hopefully) dedicated readers! Thanks to my friends, Monster Germany and 6464MiniDiceofRandomness, for reviewing! I really appreciate your comments, as they will help me improve the story. Sorry for the mix-up with the content of last chapter, as pointed out by lilsandstorm. I accidentally put chapter one twice. Major fail on my part. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

Austria's funeral was held the next day, with the bleak sky threatening rain. It was very simple, as nobody wanted to admit that he was actually gone. Especially Hungary. She still wasn't talking to Prussia, no matter how many times he apologized for not telling her about Austria's condition. In her opinion, Prussia was the reason she was now dressed in black from head to toe.

"Look, Hungary, how many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry?" Prussia asked. "I should have told you but-"

"I don't care how many times you say it!" Hungary yelled. "It doesn't change anything!" she stormed off, her long hair flowing behind her.

"At least let me make it up to you!" Prussia called out after her.

Hungary stopped. She walked back towards Prussia. "There is only one thing you could possibly do to make me forgive you," she stated coldly.

"I'll do it," Prussia said, grateful for being given a chance to redeem himself. "You name it. I'll do anything."

"Bring. Austria. Back!" She stormed off a second time. This time, Prussia let her go.

_So much for second chances…_he thought. _Maybe West can help me out. _

Prussia went in search of his younger brother, Germany, finding him still standing by Austria's headstone, muttering something under his breath. As Prussia got closer, he could make out some of the words, but couldn't tell what they meant.

"… In pace requiescat, amice." Germany looked up suddenly when he heard Prussia approaching.

"Hey, West. Didn't mean to… interrupt anything…" _Was he just speaking… What the hell was that?_

"No, it's fine. Did you want something?"

"Well… It's just… Hungary's pissed off at me, and… I don't know how to fix it." He explained. "I really don't want to get hit with a frying pan again…"

Germany looked strangely at his brother. "Frying pan…? Never mind. I don't want to know. What exactly did you do to piss her off?"

"Uh… Well… It's a long story… I just want to know how to get her to forgive me."

"Have you apologized to her?"

"About fifty times… Today…"

"Well, just give her time. It's been a hard day for us all, especially her. When she's ready to forgive you, she will. She's not the type to hold a grudge."

* * *

><p>Italy sat alone in the World Conference room. There was another meeting planned to take place after Austria's funeral, and Italy just had to get away. He couldn't stand any more sadness, or crying, or thinking about death. So, he hid out in the World Meeting hall. Soon enough, he heard England's voice out in the hall, approaching quickly.<p>

"Yes, but I didn't expect this to happen!" he whispered into his cell phone.

_What is England talking about?_ Italy wondered. _And who is he talking to? Whatever it is, it doesn't sound good._ As England entered the room, Italy hid under the table.

"No, I don't know where it is. I hope nothing happened to it… This certainly is _not_ my fault! Someone must have moved it while I-" England paused. The voices of several other countries could be heard outside. "I'll find a way to fix it."

As England ended his phone call, Germany, Prussia, Japan, Romano, Spain, and America entered the room. Italy scrambled out of his hiding spot, blending in with the group. _I really hope Britain doesn't suspect anything…_

As he took his seat, Italy couldn't help but feel England's harsh stare.

* * *

><p>For once, there was no pre-meeting chatter. No laughter, no jokes. Everyone simply sat down quietly, waiting for the meeting to start.<p>

"Alright," England started. "I'm going to assume everyone is here, so we can begin. There are several matters to be discussed concerning… recent events. First of all, we need to know what we can about Austria's illness. We need to know if it is contagious, and if so, how to stop it. I will work on finding out how it started, to prevent this situation happening again in the future. Any questions?"

Prussia stood. "I think we should all assume that it is contagious. I mean, it seems that once a person starts showing symptoms, it's too late." He looked over at Hungary, as if he were silently asking for bonus points. She responded only with a glare.

"That would be the smart thing to do," England agreed. "That especially applies to those who have recently had contact with Austria." He looked directly at Hungary and added, "as well as those who were closest to him. If anyone shows symptoms of any kind, anything out of the ordinary, don't keep it to yourself."

The meeting continued for another hour, discussing various issues that had been significant a week ago, but now seemed trivial. No one could stop thinking about England's warning. Even the slightest disturbance put everyone on edge. Estonia sneezed once, and looked up to find that all eyes were on him.

Saying goodbye afterwards took twice as long as usual, and not because it was starting to rain. No one shook hands or hugged, for fear of contagion, but looked around at everyone else, as though memorizing faces. They didn't want to admit it, but every country was thinking the same thing. _Is this the last time I see the person next to me? Will there be one less country at the next meeting? Will _I _be the next to die?_

For one country, the answer to the last question was inescapable.

* * *

><p>By the time Switzerland arrived home, the rain had turned to a downpour, making the night air extremely cold. Closing and locking their front door firmly behind them, he turned to his younger sister, Liechtenstein, who looked as though she had jumped headfirst into a lake, cold and shivering. "I told you not to go jumping through the puddles," He scolded.<p>

"But it's fun! Except for being cold and wet… That isn't so fun…"

Switzerland sighed. Liechtenstein could be so naïve. "Go dry off, before you get sick." The words had come out of his mouth before he thought about what he was saying. Liechtenstein looked up at her older brother, terror in her eyes.

"Liechtenstein, I didn't mean it like that-" Switzerland tried to comfort his little sister, but it was no use. She ran to her room, crying.

Switzerland felt terrible. Not only because he frightened Liechtenstein, but he truly didn't feel well. _Is it... Am I getting sick?_ He worried.

Switzerland looked to his left, startled by a sudden movement, paired with a set of footsteps. "Who's there?" He demanded, reaching for the handgun he always carried with him. He walked cautiously over in the direction of the disturbance, reaching the staircase. Looking up towards the upper landing, Switzerland saw a dark figure standing at the top. The ominous silhouette was almost inhuman, having no arms, and no distinguishable face.

"Who are you?" Switzerland commanded, aiming at the figure. When he received no answer, he fired three shots, which appeared to hit his intended target. However, the figure simply turned, and walked through the wall, paying no attention to Switzerland at all.

Switzerland ran up the stairs, bewildered. He investigated the wall the figure had passed through. It was solid. Three bullet holes lay where the mysterious form stood only moments before. A thousand questions raced through Switzerland's mind. _What was that thing? Had I only imagined it? Am I…going crazy?_

"Big brother?" Liechtenstein appeared at the base of the stairs, in her pastel pink pajamas, obviously startled by the gunshots. "What's wrong?"

"Um… nothing. I just thought I saw… something…." Switzerland paused. "Never mind. Just go on to bed."

Liechtenstein followed her brother's instructions, but was still concerned about him. It wasn't like him to shoot at the walls for no apparent reason.

* * *

><p>Hungary looked around from where she sat on the floor of the piano room. She had to find it. Looking up at the clock, she was surprised to find she had only been looking through Austria's things for about an hour. It seemed so much longer. Every time she opened a box, so many memories were brought back, she felt as though she were drowning in them.<p>

Looking out the window at the rain, Hungary was alarmed when she heard the sound of the front door. She assumed there was an intruder, so quickly took hold of her new favorite weapon: the frying pan. It was lightweight, easy to carry, and surprisingly effective at making Prussia run screaming to his brother. It was truly the perfect weapon.

Hungary peeked around the corner, poised to strike the intruder. She saw a slender figure slowly walking down the hall, as if looking for something.

"Hungary?" a familiar voice called. "I brought pasta! Do you want some pasta?" Hungary breathed a sigh of relief, realizing the voice belonged to Italy. She dropped her frying pan, greeting her friend with a hug. "I was getting kinda bored and lonely over at my place, and I figured you would want some company, so I made some pasta. Are you hungry?"

Thinking about it, Hungary realized she hadn't eaten since… That morning? Or was it yesterday morning? She couldn't remember. "I suppose I am…" she said softly. "I hadn't really thought about it."

The two made their way to the kitchen to eat. However, the kitchen table was taken up completely by boxes of Austria's belongings. "You're not throwing away Austria's stuff, are you?" Italy questioned.

"No," Hungary answered, making space on the table. "I'm looking for something."

"What are you looking for? Do you want me to help you find it?" Italy set down two heaping plates of steaming pasta.

Hungary paused, looking down at the box she was carrying. "Austria used to keep a journal. I have a feeling that he may have written something about… Well, I thought maybe it could help us. But I just can't find it anywhere!"

Italy took the box from Hungary, replacing it with a plate of pasta. "I'll help you look for it, then! But first, let's eat!"

Hungary nodded, and sat at the table next to Italy. They ate, just enjoying each other's company, not thinking about death, or grief, or loss for the fist time that day.

About twenty minutes later, they were back in the piano room, continuing the search for the journal. The work seemed to go much more pleasantly, now that Hungary wasn't alone. She felt as though Italy had saved her from the ocean of painful memories.

As Hungary opened yet another box she expected to find more sheet music in, she found several packages, each wrapped in shiny gold Christmas paper. She pulled one out, reading the tag on it.

_France_

She selected another one. This one read:

_Japan_

There were several more in the box, each one with a different country's name written on it. _These must have been everyone's next Christmas gifts, _Hungary thought. _I should give these to everyone later…_She closed the box, moving on to another one. She would have to remember to come back to that box after finding the journal.

Several hours later, Italy and Hungary were getting more than a little discouraged. Hungary sat on the floor next to Italy, leaning her head against the piano. "I don't think we're ever going to find it," she stated glumly. "It… fell down a well or something. It ran away."

"Yeah, it must not be here," Italy agreed. "The closest thing I found is this little book." He handed Hungary a small, wine-red book. Her eyes widened upon seeing it.

"Italy, that's it!" she exclaimed, standing and flipping through it. "How long ago did you find this?"

"Uh… About an hour ago?"

Hungary sighed. "Well, at least we found it." She sat next to Italy, almost scared to open the journal and start reading. She wasn't sure that she really wanted to know what Austria was thinking during his last days. If what Prussia had told her was true, Austria only wanted to protect her.

Then again, there was probably information that could potentially save the other nations… Prevent anyone else from going through the same pain…

She decided to start reading.

**Well, I shall end here. I tried to make this chapter longer, because I've gotten complaints from several of my friends (Love you too, guys) that my chapters are too short. I would like to state that this one is approximately 5 ½ pages on Microsoft Word. Long enough? Too long? Just plain annoying? Please review to let me know :)**


	4. Disappeared

**Hello all! I hope you enjoy my story so far :) Sorry it kind of took me a while to update… I had the chapters before written before I posted the story, but not this one, so I had to take the time to write it XD By the way, I've been thinking of also making a series of Youtube videos of this, to hopefully reach a wider audience. Also, I've created a Facebook page; so (at the risk of being cliché) like me on Facebook!**

Hungary leaned her head against Austria's shoulder, watching his fingers glide gracefully across the piano keys. He was playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, her favorite piece. For a moment, she forgot that Austria was dead. She closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "This is a dream, isn't it?" she asked.

Austria looked over at Hungary, but never stopped playing. "I couldn't be here otherwise," he replied. "But that doesn't matter now. For now, this is real. You don't have to worry."

Hungary sat up straight, opening her eyes. "I can't just… not worry!" she exclaimed. "There are too many questions! What… what happened to you? Why didn't you tell me? Why-"

"Everything you need to know is in there," Austria said, cutting Hungary's sentence short. Looking down, Hungary saw the bright red journal sitting in her lap. She picked it up, looking it over. She gazed into Austria's violet eyes, as though asking permission to read the journal.

Austria turned to Hungary, taking her hands in his. "Don't worry about me," he told her. "There is nothing you can do for me anymore. However, the rest of the world needs you. Don't let them down."

Hungary nodded slowly, lost in thought. She knew the other nations now depended on her, and whatever she might find in the journal, but she didn't want to face the world. It would be much easier to just stay there, by Austria's side. Where she should've been all along.

"You should wake up now," Austria told her. "Everyone's waiting on you."

Hungary felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She leaned forward, and kissed Austria. She put her arms around him, promising that she would never let herself forget him. As her lips pressed against his, Hungary closed her eyes, prepared now to wake up.

Or so she thought.

* * *

><p>"Umm… Hungary?" a muffled voice called. "What are you doing?"<p>

Hungary's eyes fluttered open, and it took her a moment to fully take in her surroundings. She was still on the floor of the music room, sunlight now streaming through the windows. And she was kissing Prussia.

Hungary blinked, not sure what to think. Her arms were around Prussia's neck, her lips pressed against his. She was staring into his bright crimson eyes. He looked just as shocked as she was.

Fully becoming aware of the situation, she hurriedly released her grasp on Prussia. She pushed him away, standing and taking a few steps journal, which had previously been in her lap, fell to the floor. She covered her mouth in horror. "Why were you kissing me?" she demanded.

Prussia looked at Hungary in bewilderment. "What are you talking about? _You _kissed _me!_"

"Don't play games with me!" she warned, searching for her frying pan. She found it, wielding it expertly. "I would never kiss you, and you know it!"

Prussia's expression turned from shock to true terror. "I'm telling the truth, I swear! I was just trying to wake you up, and out of nowhere you kissed me!" Attempting a smile, he added, "Does… that mean… you forgive me?"

"No! I would never…_ Intentionally _kiss you," Hungary explained. She set down her frying pan, her gaze dropping to the floor. Awkwardness followed. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"Italy… He called everyone, saying that you found… something. I couldn't make out what he was saying. He was talking kinda fast. But he said it was important. So, we all came here."

"And you are _here_ here because…"

"Because Italy said when I got here that you were asleep on the floor."

"We will _NEVER _speak of this again, understood? It _never happened._"

Prussia nodded quickly. "Agreed. By the way, you're an awful kisser."

"I am not! Out of the two of us, I am definitely the better kisser!"

Prussia smiled his usual sly smirk "I beg to differ!"

Hungary reached for her frying pan, walking threateningly towards Prussia.

"Okay, okay! I take it back!" he shouted, scrambling out the door. "WEST! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Hungary smiled halfheartedly as she set down her weapon, and set out to join her fellow nations.

* * *

><p>Hungary entered her kitchen, observing the crowded, chaotic scene before her. Prussia was trying frantically to explain to Germany that Hungary was trying to beat him to death with a frying pan. There were half a dozen plates on the table, each smeared with pasta sauce. Italy was serving pasta to Japan and Lithuania. Hungary couldn't remember the last time she had had so many people in her house at one time.<p>

Italy was the first to notice Hungary's presence. "Good morning Hungary!" he announced, greeting her with a smile. "Do you want some pasta?"

"Uh… No, thank you," Hungary replied, still not fully awake. "I'm… not hungry." She sat down at the table, next to England.

"So, Hungary," England said. "Italy said you had something that could help us?"

Hungary nodded. "Austria's journal… I think it's still in the music room. I'll get it-"

"No, I'll get it for you," England interjected, standing. "What does it look like?"

"It's a small leather bound book, with a dark red cover. It should be on the floor next to the piano, I think…"

England nodded, leaving the room with brisk steps. He returned about ten minutes after, a confused look on his face. "I couldn't find it," he announced. "Are you sure that's where you left it?"

Hungary looked panicked. "It- it's not there? I know it was there!" She fled to the piano room, frantically looking on the floor for the journal.

It was gone.

**Sorry for the really short chapter, but I just think this is the right place to end it :) Don't you just love minor cliffhangers? Don't forget to find me on facebook, if you have one!**


	5. Espionage

**Hello again! Sorry for the extremely short, cliffhanger-ish chapter 4, but I was just… in one of those moods in which I felt the need to torture all you lovely people XD Aren't I so nice? Also, I apologize for taking so long to post this... Lots of computer drama. The computer I normally work on is broken, so I had to move to my brother's computer, which doesn't have Microsoft Word. Instead, it has Open Office... *grumble grumble* I hate it. It is the most annoying thing on the planet... except maybe my brother's ex... Anyway, on to the story. If there are any problems, blame Open Office :) **

"I think England may have something to do with Austria's death," Japan explained later to the other Axis Powers. After the journal had disappeared, the meeting at Hungary's house had been canceled, and Italy and Japan had gone over to Germany's house to discuss their suspicions.

Italy agreed. "Before the last meeting, he was talking to somebody on the phone," he said. "He seemed pretty suspicious."

Germany was still skeptical. "Do you have any actual proof that he had something to do with Austria, though?" He questioned. "A suspicious phone call doesn't mean anything."

"He has the journal. The one Hungary spoke of."

* * *

><p>Something definitely isn't right, Japan contemplated, eyeing England suspiciously. Although England was one of Japan's closest friends, he seemed to be trying very hard to hide something. As England left the room to find the journal, Japan set down his plate, following after him.<p>

At the door of the piano room, Japan watched silently, as England retrieved a small, crimson book from the floor, just as Hungary had described. After flipping through a few pages, England stowed the journal in his coat pocket.

Suddenly, England turned sharply. "You!" he exclaimed, seemingly in Japan's direction. Japan clung to the wall, desperately trying to avoid being discovered.

"What happened to you was not my fault!" It took Japan a moment to realize England wasn't referring to him. "I didn't mean for _you_ to die. I just- stop saying that! I'm going to fix it! Just leave me alone! It's bad enough I have to put up with this from my boss, I don't need to be berated by someone who is already dead!"

With that, England stormed off, not even noticing Japan had been watching him.

… … …

Hungary paced back and forth in her bedroom, trying to figure out how Austria's journal had gone missing. "Prussia is behind this somehow. I just know it," she told herself as she climbed into bed. "The journal was right there when I woke up. He probably made that joke about my kissing to distract me, while he grabbed the journal! He must have had some part in Austria's death, and he didn't want me to find out!"

"He never liked Austria… It would make sense that he would want to kill him," she considered, attempting to sleep. "Next time I see him, he's going to pay for what he did."

She sat up. "Then again, there were a lot of people who didn't like Austria… But I don't think any of them disliked him enough to try to kill him. Would they?"

"Either way, Prussia is definitely the one person who dislikes Austria the most. He definitely took the journal. I just know it."

* * *

><p>"It's risky, but I don't think we have a choice," Japan commented. He didn't like the fact that he would be deceiving England, but he felt it was necessary. After all, England had been involved in more than his fair share of dishonesty lately.<p>

Germany's plan was fairly simple: Japan was to visit England's house, and distract him while Italy and Germany tried to find the journal, and swap it with a false one. However, there were many things that could go wrong. If England got away from Japan, and ran into Germany and Italy… If England suspected Japan… If they couldn't find the journal…

It would probably lead to another world war... Or worse.

* * *

><p>"But I don't understand why I can't at least attend the meetings!" Sealand whined. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't convince England to recognize him as a country, or even to let him attend world conferences. Nevertheless, he was in England's library, pleading to him once again.<p>

"Three reasons," England said, his voice sounding even harsher than usual, if that was possible. "For one, you're far too young to become a country. Secondly, you wouldn't know the first thing about maintaining a nation. Third-" There was a knock at his front door. He looked back at Sealand. "Stay here, don't move and _don't touch anything!"_

Sealand frowned as England left the room. _He's nothing but a big bully,_ he thought, wandering around the room. _I'm plenty old enough to be a country! And I could learn how to support myself… I wonder if there's a book on how to become a country…_Sealand glanced over the various books and papers spread across England's desk, his eyes landing on a journal, which he assumed to be England's.

_Wait a minute… _Picking it up, Sealand examined the journal more closely. _This isn't England's handwriting…whose is this? _As he heard England coming back, he hurriedly concealed the mystery journal in the one place he could think of: under his hat.

Sealand pulled his light blue cap down onto his head, praying that the book didn't show from underneath. He was determined to find the journal's true owner. Maybe, after receiving the journal, the owner would be so grateful that he (or she… the handwriting was very nice-looking) would recognize Sealand as a country! Then he wouldn't have to ask England- or anyone, for that matter- to let him attend meetings, and conferences, and whatever else it is that countries do!

However, that all depended on Sealand being able to take the journal, without England noticing. Precariously balancing the book on his head, he looked around for a book to replace the missing journal with. He found one, similar in size and color, and placed it on the desk, in the place the other journal had been previously resting.

He walked out into the hall, nearly running straight into England and Japan. Upon seeing Sealand, England didn't look the least bit happy. In fact, he looked a little pissed off. "What is it, now?" he demanded.

Sealand didn't know quite what to say. "Uh..." he started, trying to keep the book from falling. "Well, 'llbegoinghomenowbye!" With that, he ran past England. Well, he walked as fast as he could without dropping the journal.

Once outside, he started sprinting. His hat, the journal still tucked inside, fell on the ground as he ran. He skid to a stop, but only long enough to pick it up. After that, he ran as fast as he could, not stopping again until he reached his own home.

* * *

><p>Hungary crouched behind a shrub, watching the entrance to Germany and Prussia's house. She waited (im)patiently, listening to the breeze blowing through the trees. Finally, she saw Germany leave, with Italy right behind him. Prussia was now alone. Just the way she wanted him.<p>

As she walked nonchalantly up to the front door, Hungary couldn't suppress her mischievous smile any longer. Prussia was about to get what he deserved. She knocked on the door.

When Prussia answered, he saw nothing but the flat, black bottom of Hungary's frying pan, before the world went black.

* * *

><p>Outside England's house, Germany's phone vibrated. Pulling it out, he read Japan's text message. "Okay, Italy... Italy?" He looked around, and found Italy a few yards away, chasing after a cat. "Italy, get back here! This is important!"<p>

Italy looked from the cat, to Germany, and back to the cat. Germany sighed. "Forget about the cat." Italy looked again at Germany, disappointment evident on his face. "Japan said he will try to keep England occupied as we search each part of the house. I told him we would start with the library. Understood?"

Italy saluted. "Understood!" he said, running off toward the front door. As his hand reached for the doorknob, Germany grabbed him, pulling him back abruptly. They both fell back, landing hard in the dirt.

"What do you think you're doing?" Germany whisper-yelled. "If you go running through the front door, you'll get caught!"

"But-"

"Shh!" Germany clapped his hand over Italy's mouth. Footsteps could be heard from inside. Footsteps approaching quickly. Germany grabbed Italy by the arm, running around to the side of the house, out of sight of the door.

Still holding onto Italy tightly, Germany watched Sealand leave, thankful the two of them weren't seen.

"Wow," Italy commented, "that sure was close!"

Germany released his grip on Italy. "That was _too_ close. From now on, don't do anything until instructed! Now, follow me. We are going to sneak in through the library window, rather than go barging in through the front door. And keep quiet!"

Italy nodded, following closely behind Germany as he crept along the wall, ducking under windows. Finally, they came to the library. Germany climbed through the open window first, brushing aside the sheer curtains. Behind him, Italy's foot caught the edge of the windowsill, causing him to land on the floor with a thud. "Sorry!" he whispered, standing up.

Germany shook his head. "Never mind. Just try to find the journal. Since you're the only one of us who has actually seen it before." He started leafing through a few books he pulled off one of the shelves.

Italy looked around for a second, then pointed at a red book on England's desk. "It's that one," he said.

**Ugh... I didn't put nearly as much in this chapter as I had intended... I just couldn't make you guys wait any longer for an update. Just to let all of you know, I'm taking suggestions for which characters I should kill off. If you feel like putting in a specific request, either put it in a review, or private message. Anyway, don't forget to like this story on Facebook to receive updates, links and sneak peeks of what's to come! Here is a link: .com/pages/Illorum-Nos-Could-Non-Servo/134557929954263?ref=hnav  
><strong>


	6. Pointing Fingers

**Okay, sorry if I took too long to update this... I was busy with Anime Expo XD If any of you guys went, let me know! Maybe we saw each other. I went dressed as Hungary, including frying pan. It was so much fun! I kinda feel a little sorry for a certain Prussia... I'm not sure what else to put in this author's note, so I shall put random crap, just because I feel like it. Eschew obfuscation. Carpe Diem. PASTAAAAAAA! Okay, I got that out of my system. I'm calm(ish) now :) On with story.**

When Prussia came to, Hungary was staring at him, her eyes filled with a fire rarely seen. She truly looked terrifying. He attempted to stand from the chair he was in, not liking the fact that she was looming over him, holding her notorious frying pan aloft. He struggled against the ropes he found tied around his ankles, as well as the ones keeping his arms stiffly against his back.

"Hey!" he protested. "What the hell, Hungary! What's this all about?"

She glared at him, her fury evident on her face. "You ought to know _exactly_ what this is about! What did you do with it?"

Prussia looked at her in confusion, not knowing what to say. "Uh... What did I do with what? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Hungary swung her pan, hitting the left side of his face. "Austria's journal, you jerk! I know you have it!"

Prussia bit his lip against the searing pain. "You've gotta be kidding me! That's what this is about! Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't do anything! And I don't have Austria's stupid diary!"

"You're a really _bad_ liar, Prussia," Hungary said harshly, hitting him squarely in the nose, causing a thin line of blood to stream down. "Tell me the truth!"

* * *

><p>Germany eyed the book Italy pointed at. "You're sure that's it?" he asked.<p>

Italy nodded. "Yep, that's it! I'm sure of it! That was a lot easier than I thought it would be! I thought we'd actually have to-"

"Shh!" Germany heard footsteps quickly approaching, paired with the voices of Japan and England. He motioned toward the open window. Italy tilted his head to the side, obviously confused.

"But England, I didn't hear anything! It was probably nothing!"

As Japan and England got closer, Germany said only one word to Italy, "Retreat!" Italy finally understood, attempting to climb back out through the open window. He failed miserably. Germany quickly took the red book from the desk, replaced it with their homemade decoy, and helped Italy climb over the window sill, before finally climbing out on his own.

The two hid just under the window, trying to stay out of sight. They heard England and Japan enter the library, searching around inside. Japan came to the window, appearing to look around. He saw his fellow Axis members, but didn't acknowledge them. "I don't see anything," he told England. "Are you sure you heard something?"

"I thought I did... It must have been my imagination, I suppose..."

* * *

><p>Later, Germany and Italy met back up with Japan on the way back to Germany's house. When they arrived, they found the front door was left ajar. They all found this odd, especially Germany. "Hello?" he called, nudging the door open the rest of the way. "Prussia? Did you leave the door open?" Italy held his white flag out, waving it slightly.<p>

Walking inside, the three Axis countries came across Prussia, tied to a chair and severely injured. "Prussia!" Germany exclaimed, rushing to untie his brother. "What happened to you?"

Prussia responded only with a harsh glare.

"Um... Am I missing something?" Germany was confused, wondering what he did to piss off Prussia.

Prussia rubbed his wrists, still staring down his younger brother. "Oh, she's not the type to hold a grudge, you said." He pointed to his bloody face. "This looks like a grudge to me!"

Germany stood. "Hold on a sec... Hungary did this? Why?"

"Hmm... Let me think... Maybe because she's a psycho bitch that has a grudge against me?" As he wiped blood from his nose, he added, "She said something about Austria's journal. When I told her I didn't have it, she told me I was lying, and... you get the idea. I've been sitting here for an hour, waiting for you to get back and untie me."

"We found the journal," Germany reassured his older brother, giving him the book they picked up earlier. "England stole it the other day from Hungary's house."

Prussia took the book, flipping through it. His eyes went wide. "Uh... West? I don't think this is Austria's..."

"What do you mean?" Germany took the book. Looking at it, he could agree it didn't belong to Austria. The book was filled with pages of pictures of nude and topless women. "Uh... I think you're right..." he turned to Italy. "Italy! You said you were sure this was it!"

"I thought it was! I mean, it was red, just like the journal..."

Germany did a facepalm, wondering why he blindly listened to Italy.

* * *

><p>Hungary sat in front of the piano, running her fingers across the smooth ivory keys, remembering the distant melodies Austria used to play. She wished she had gotten Prussia to tell her where the journal was. Maybe she just had to hit him harder next time. She laid her head on the piano, closing her eyes. Opening them again, she saw the boxes of gold packages she had found a few days ago. She had forgotten completely about them.<p>

Suddenly curious to see what was inside, she reopened one of the boxes, and pulled out all the gifts inside. She read the tags on all of them, looking for her own:

_Germany_

_Japan_

_Italy_

_France_

_England_

_America_

_China_

_Russia_

She looked in the next box:

_Switzerland_

_Liechtenstein_

_Poland_

_Lithuania_

_Spain_

She reached the bottom of the box, still searching for her name. Not seeing it, she realized that she didn't have a shiny gold package. She checked the tags on all of them, thinking she must have missed seeing hers. She made no mistake. Whatever was inside the gifts, Austria didn't get one for her. Looking once more inside the first box, she found a plain white envelope addressed to her. Opening it, she found a handwritten letter:

_Dear Hungary,_

_I am writing you this letter, to tell you all the things I won't be able to tell you in person. In this box, as well as one more, are my Christmas gifts to everyone. They are songs I have composed specifically describing each of them. However, there are no doubt a few I have missed. I absolutely refuse to write anything about Prussia, for obvious reasons. Also, I have a feeling I forgot someone in North America, but I can't remember. I have tried to compose one for you several times, but I can't find the words, or the melody, to describe you accurately in just one song. _

_Nevertheless, you play an essential part in making sure my message is understood correctly. You see, these pieces are to be played together, in perfect synchrony. The countries I have written introductions for will start the song together:_

_America_

_China_

_Liechtenstein_

_Lithuania_

_Poland_

_Spain_

_Switzerland_

_The other countries will then join in with the first verse:_

_England_

_France_

_Germany_

_Italy_

_Japan_

_Russia_

_As much as I would like to present these pieces to everyone myself, I won't be able to. I can't explain it, but you will understand in time, I'm sure. Please, if I am not able to, give these to everyone. You may choose to wait until Christmas if you wish, or give them out earlier. I am leaving it up to you. I hope you know that I love you. I always have, and I always will._

_Sincerely,_

_Austria_

_Sincerely? _Hungary thought. _He told me he loves me, then he signed it _sincerely_? _Her eyes scanned the page over again. _He loved me. He said he loved me... _She looked toward the ceiling, blinking back tears. Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door.

Hungary wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, grabbed her frying pan, and headed for the door. _If that's Prussia, I swear..._ She opened the door.

It wasn't Prussia, as she had feared. Instead, she found Switzerland standing in front of her. "Hungary," he said, a slight tone of urgency in his voice. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

She nodded, finding it odd that Switzerland would want to speak with her, due to his history with Austria. The two used to be friends, almost as close as brothers, but it had been years since they so much as had a civil conversation with each other.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but..." Switzerland paused. "Austria... How did he die? I mean, we all know he got sick somehow, but... I guess what I'm asking is... If you have any idea what his symptoms were."

"Well," Hungary started, trying to think. "I don't know very much, but-"

She was interrupted by Switzerland coughing violently. As he did, crimson blood appeared on his lips. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. He looked at Hungary, and immediately she understood why he had come.

"Have you told Liechtenstein?"

Switzerland shook his head. "Not yet... I don't know how to tell her. At first, I wasn't even sure if I had the same thing as Austria, but I guess it's official now."

"It's going to be okay, I'm sure," Hungary reassured him. "Once we find Austria's journal, we can figure out where this whole thing started, and we can find a way to cure it. I'm sure of it."

* * *

><p>England picked up Austria's journal from where he left it. He planned to give it back to Hungary eventually, but he had to make sure there was no evidence against him. Once he read it through, and taken out anything that could link him to Austria's death, he would go back to Hungary's house, and put it back somewhere. She would think she simply missed seeing it.<p>

However, that would only work if he had the actual journal. When England opened to the first page, it wasn't Austria's handwriting he saw. Instead, the writing looked more like Germany's. England threw the fake journal across the room, figuring out he had been tricked. But by whom? Thinking back, he suspected the only person who would have had the chance to take the real journal.

The only person who had been in his house that day:

Japan.

* * *

><p>Sealand flipped another page in the journal he found in England's library. He was making a list of all the names he saw, and he would give the journal to whoever was mentioned the most, as they were probably either the owner, or knew who the owner was. So far, the names he came across most often were Prussia and Hungary. Germany, Italy and Switzerland were also mentioned several times, though not as often.<p>

When he finished flipping through the journal, Sealand looked at the list of names. Hungary and Prussia were mentioned the most, so he was going to give the journal to one of them...

The only question was... Which one? They were both mentioned exactly the same number of times. He didn't think it was right to actually read through the entries, so he didn't know the relationships between the countries. He decided to let gravity decide: he flipped a coin.

"Okay," he told himself, fishing an American quarter from his pocket. "Heads, I'll give it to Hungary. Tails, I'll give it to Prussia."

He tossed the coin into the air, and watched it land with a _clink_ on the floor. It spun two, three, four times, and fell on its side. Sealand leaned over to look, and saw the face of some important person to America on the side facing up. Heads.

Sealand pulled out a world map that he "borrowed" from England, looking for Hungary's house. He'd show the world that he deserved to be a country, no matter how young he was.

All he needed to do was head west until he found out where Hungary lived. Wait, no. He was holding the map upside down. He needed to head North. No, east... Wait, what?

All he needed to do was learn to read a map.

**So... yeah. I'll end it here. Hope you guys liked it, and that you will review, and watch for future updates and whatnot. I'll probably be able to update a lot faster now that school is out for the summer, and anime expo has passed. I was freaking out about my anime expo costume for a while, and I actually didn't finish it until the night before XD I'm such a procrastinator... Anyway, I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. In the meantime, don't forget to like this story on facebook as well, for news on updates! Just copy and paste the following link: .com/pages/Illorum-Nos-Could-Non-Servo/134557929954263 See ya later!**


	7. Losing Everything

**Hello all! Thank you to all of you who have stayed with me this far into the story XD Once I publish this chapter, Illorum Nos Could Non Servo will be the longest story I've ever written. So exciting! Also, thank you to my friend Dean, for noticing a slight typo last chapter... Because Prussia was talking about Austria's DIARY, not DAIRY... Anyway, I shall get on with the story, because you people have probably stopped reading my extremely annoying author's notes. I'll admit, they are annoying. Even to me sometimes...**

Hungary found herself wandering the moonlit halls of the mansion she and Austria shared. She remembered a time when many more people lived there. She looked down, at the gold package in her arms. _Hungary_ the tag read. She opened it, her heart racing to see what was inside. She pulled out several pages of crisp, white sheet music.

Blank sheet music. Hungary shuffled through page after page of... nothing. Then, on the first page, a small red dot appeared. She tried rubbing it away with her index finger, but the small dot only grew. As it grew larger, Hungary realized it was blood. She dropped the stack of papers, and ran to the music room. She knew Austria was in danger, and she had to save him. She couldn't lose him again.

She reached the piano room, and time seemed to slow, nearly to a stop. She saw Austria lying on the floor, pale and still. She ran to him, her long hair flowing out behind her. Falling to her knees beside Austria, Hungary cried as she took his hand. She had lost him again.

"Austria!" she cried.

* * *

><p>"Austria!" Hungary screamed, waking up from her dream. She covered her face with her hands, trying to put the image out of her mind. She looked at the clock. 9 am. She was going to be late meeting the others. They had all planned to meet at the world conference hall at 9:30, because Hungary told them all about the music pieces, and everyone seemed pretty interested.<p>

She all but flew out of bed, pulling her green uniform from her closet. She rushed to get dressed and brush her hair. She picked up the two boxes of gifts, one on top of the other, and was out the door by 9:05.

Hungary was about halfway to the meeting hall, when she hears a small voice behind her. "E-excuse me," it said. She turned, seeing a small blond child in a blue and white sailor outfit. "I'm sorry to bother you, you seem like you're in a hurry, but could you tell me how to get to a person named Hungary's house?"

"I'm Hungary... Who are you?"

The child's face lit up. "You're Hungary? I'm Sealand! I've got something to give you... I think it might be yours." He fumbled with folding up the large map he was carrying, then handed Hungary a small book. A book with a red cover.

Hungary nearly dropped the boxes she was carrying, setting them down on the ground. She took Austria's journal from Sealand, her hands shaking. "Thank you so much..." she Where did you get this? Wait a minute... Did Prussia send you?"

"Uh... no... I found it at England's house, while I was there... I could tell it wasn't his, but I didn't know whose it was, because I don't know many other countries. It's yours, right?"

Hungary smiled. Sealand reminded her a lot of Italy. "It's not mine, but I really needed it. Thank you. Wait... England had it?"

Sealand nodded, and Hungary immediately realized she had thought completely wrong. Prussia was telling the truth when he said he didn't have the journal. She had only assumed he was lying, probably due to the fact that she hated him. Sure, she had plenty of reasons to hate him, but one less than she had thought.

She took off running, toward Germany and Prussia's house. Thankfully, it wasn't far from her and Austria's home. She arrived just as Prussia and Germany were leaving. The moment Prussia saw Hungary, he turned to run the other direction, his red eyes wide with obvious fear. Hungary secretly savored the feeling of instilling terror in Prussia, but that wasn't the reason she had come.

"Prussia," she called. "I come in peace, I swear." She held her hands up, showing she was unarmed. Unless you count a book as a weapon. Which, I suppose you could, if you hit someone hard enough... But that's beside the point.

Prussia looked back at Hungary, not quite believing her innocence. "I told you, I don't have the stupid journal," he stated bitterly. "So if that's what you're after, you can go home or whatever."

"I know. I came to apologize for yesterday," Hungary said. "I just... I got so... I was upset, I jumped to conclusions, I'm..." she paused, hesitant to actually say the words. "I'm sorry."

Prussia wore a smug look on his face. Hungary was swallowing her pride, and apologizing,and he actually had the guts to smirk. "Kesesese!" he laughed. "So, you finally admit you were wrong about something, huh? Well, it's about time!"

"S-Shut up!" Hungary folded her arms across her chest. Only Prussia would make fun of someone who was apologizing to him.

* * *

><p>Sealand looked down at the boxes left at his feet. When Hungary ran off, she apparently forgot all about them. He hadn't even had a chance to ask her about being recognized as a country...<p>

However, maybe he could help her out a bit by carrying the boxes for her. There was apparently a big meeting that all the countries were going to, so that had to be where Hungary was headed as well. Sealand knew where the world conference hall was, so finding his way would be no problem.

He picked up the boxes, which were slightly heavier than he expected, and started walking.

* * *

><p>"So, Hungary," Germany asked. The three of them were now walking together to the world meeting hall. "What is it that you were wanting to show all of us?"<p>

It was only then that Hungary remembered the boxes she left with Sealand. "Uh... I left them with a kid... I need to go back and get them!"

Germany, Hungary, and Prussia walked quickly back to where Hungary had met Sealand, but found nothing. No boxes, and no weird little kid in a sailor outfit. Hungary buried her face in her hands. "Why?" she asked no one in particular. "I'm starting to see a pattern: I find things, I go to show everyone, and it goes missing. I guess we should go tell everyone that I wasted their time... Again..."

However, to Hungary's surprise, Italy ran up and gave her a hug the moment the three countries arrived. "Hi, Hungary! These songs are so cool!" he said excitedly. "We were all rehearsing while we waited for you to get here, what took you so long? And guess what? I made pasta! Oh, and Germany, here's your song." He handed Germany his gold-wrapped package.

"Thank you." As they headed inside, Germany carefully unwrapped his gift, not even creasing the paper. Inside, all the countries who had received songs were humming, singing, flipping through pages of sheet music, and comparing songs.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" Hungary called. The room quieted, everyone turning to Hungary. "As you all know, Austria was working on these songs before he died. He gave me very specific instructions for how these pieces are to be performed. He said that they are supposed to be played all at the same time. I haven't had a chance to see all the music, but I think we should try it." A murmur ran through the room, part agreement and part confusion.

With a little help from Austria's orchestra, (okay, a lot of help) the countries were soon organized into a makeshift choir. Half of them couldn't read the sheet music in front of them, but they were helped by the countries who could. Hungary watched as the song began.

It was disastrous, to say the least. The introductions that Austria had written weren't even the same tune. _What was he _thinking? Hungary thought, cringing. When the rest of the countries joined in, the song became a little better... At least, it hurt Hungary's ears less. Everyone was at least singing the same melody, but they were each singing something different.

When everyone hit the first chorus, everything seemed to fall into place. It was as if Austria had planned it that way. The instruments were all playing the same tune, as each country sang the melody in their own key:

_Draw a circle, that's the Earth_

_Draw a circle, that's the Earth_

_Draw a circle, that's the Earth_

_I am (enter country's name)_

From there, the countries split off again, each singing about their own subjects, but they always joined together again for the chorus_. _The song ended, leaving everyone still a little confused. They wondered why Austria would compose something that sounded so... chaotic doesn't even describe it well.

"I get it," Canada said, though his naturally quiet voice was heard by few others. "Austria was trying to say that even though we all have our differences, we are all united by the Earth. It's the one thing all of us have in common."

Prussia was the only one to even notice Canada's presence. "That sounds exactly like something Austria would-"

"Hey, I've got a totally awesome idea!" America shouted. "We could all go to my home and record our songs! Wouldn't that be just, totally cool?"

Canada sighed, hugging Kumajirou, his polar bear. He wondered why America always seemed to get more attention than he did.

* * *

><p>The next day, everyone met up at America's home. One by one, America recorded then each singing their version of the song Austria wrote. From Germany's gruff voice, to Liechtenstein's soft soprano, each country added something unique. When they were finished, each country got a CD with their song on it. Prussia flipped through each of the tracks, a little pissed off that he didn't have a song. He listened to clips from Italy's, Germany's, Japan's... France, America, England... <em>Why does that Austrian write songs for them, and not the awesome me?<em> He thought angrily. _This is unacceptable!_

Standing, Prussia grabbed an electric guitar from the corner. "You know what?" he said. "I don't need some stupid song from Austria. I'm gonna make up my own version!"

He belted out... something or other... It was vaguely reminiscent of the songs from the other countries, but... There weren't words to describe it. The other countries stared as Prussia sang about his own awesomeness, placing phrases from Austria's song here and there, humming when he couldn't think of what to sing. When he was done, no one knew quite what to say...

A slightly awkward silence followed...

Okay, a VERY awkward silence followed, before everyone slowly went back to what they were doing. Hungary returned to browsing America's music collection. She tilted her head to the side, reading the labels on America's CD's. Her green eyes scanned the shelf, resting on a name she didn't expect to see.

_Austria_

Looking at it, she pulled the CD from the shelf. "America?" she called. She went over to the CD player in the room, which was currently playing Italy's song. "May I borrow this for a moment?" she asked, gesturing to the player. Italy nodded, looking confused.

America popped his head out from the other room. "'Sup, Hungary? You need something?"

"I was just wondering what this is." She held up the case, as the CD started playing. She heard the soft strains of an orchestra tuning. A gentle melody started on a piano, soon joined by the soothing hum of violins. When Hungary heard Austria's voice, she clasped her hands over her mouth, nearly bursting into tears. She recognized the chorus from the songs everyone else had been recording all day. Austria wrote one for himself.

"I had completely forgotten about that..." America said softly. "A couple weeks ago, Austria came by, wanting to record this. I had no idea what it was, until now." He looked at Hungary. She was closing her eyes, listening to Austria's voice. "Do you... want it? If you want it, you can have it."

Hungary opened her eyes. "Are you sure?" America nodded.

* * *

><p>It rained that evening. As she ran through the cold, dark streets, Liechtenstein wondered why it always seemed to rain when her life fell apart. Her feet splashing against the hard pavement, she recalled the time, not so long ago, that she found herself wandering these same streets, alone and afraid. There was only one difference. The first time, Switzerland found her, and things got a little better. But not this time. This time, it was up to her to save her brother.<p>

Liechtenstein stumbled down a narrow alley, the road slick with rain. She had to find help somewhere. She wiped her cheeks with her palms, unable to distinguish the rain from her tears. She didn't know who to go to, because Switzerland was always there if she needed help. She decided to go to the nearest country she could find.

* * *

><p>Hungary didn't know whether it was the fact that it was a dark night, or the rain, or the fact that she had grown accustomed to the silence that now loomed over her house, but she jumped when she heard a sudden knock at her door. She rushed to answer, finding Liechtenstein on her doorstep. "I need your help," she pleaded, out of breath and shivering. "Switzerland- I didn't know what to do... I ran for help. Please help me!" She looked up at Hungary, tears filling her big green eyes with fear.<p>

Hungary nodded, not saying a word. She followed Liechtenstein through the pouring rain, hoping they weren't too late already.

When the two girls finally reached Switzerland's house, they found him collapsed on the floor. Hungary motioned for Liechtenstein to stay in the doorway. She did so, waiting anxiously on the verge of yet more tears. Hungary knelt down next to Switzerland, feeling the side of his neck for any sign of a heartbeat. There was none.

Hungary looked over her shoulder to Liechtenstein, shaking her head slightly. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

Liechtenstein doubled over, sobbing uncontrollably, burying her face in her hands. Her damp blonde hair clung to the sides of her face. Hungary put her arms around Liechtenstein, in an attempt to comfort her. Although she knew there was nothing that could erase the pain. No matter what anyone did, it couldn't erase the fact that Liechtenstein was a scared little girl. A girl who just lost everything.

**Okay, so this is a really depressing place to end the chapter, but... yeah. Would you rather have the chapter up, or have me work on it for another week, trying to make it have a happy ending? Besides, you all knew that this was going to be a story with a bunch of character deaths, and death is depressing. That's life. (I have a feeling there's a pun hidden there somewhere... I just can't find it) Anyway, please leave a review! And don't forget to check out the story's Facebook page!**


	8. Bridges Built and Bridges Burned

**Okay, starting over... I don't like it. But, seeing as I have no choice, there's no point in complaining about it. Hey, on the bright side, all the characters have to start over, so... yeah, I know, cheesy. I'm just trying to resist the urge to throw my brother's computer out the window, and him after it. Anyway, thank you all for being patient(ish) until I had a chance to rewrite this chapter. For those of you who don't know, the computer I have been working with was wiped, and all my files with it, all thanks to my older brother. I don't want to bore all of you with any more of my little melodrama, so I'll just get to the story.**

Switzerland took a deep breath, knocking gently on his younger sister's open bedroom door. He had

been dreading this moment since his discussion with Hungary earlier that day. But he knew it was necessary. "Hey, Liechtenstein... Uh, could I talk to you for a minute?" he asked , somewhat awkwardly. He never really had a way with words, especially when it involved bad news.

Liechtenstein looked up from the book she was reading, placing it beside her on her yellow bedspread. "Of course, big Brother," she replied with a smile. However, seeing the expression on Switzerland's face, her smile quickly faded into a look of worry. She stood, walking timidly toward him. "What's wrong? Did something bad happen?"

He shook his head. "No... not exactly," he explained. "It's just..." He sat down next to his sister, not sure how to talk to her. "I wanted to talk to you about... If I'm not there to take care of you-"

Liechtenstein didn't quite understand what her brother was trying to say. "But you _are_ here," she stated. "You _do_ take care of me."

Switzerland sighed. He could tell this was not going like he planned. "I know, I'm here for you now, but..." he paused, not wanting to finish his sentence. "If... something happens to me... I want you to be able to take care of yourself. Do you get this at all?"

"Um... No, not really... Are you going somewhere?" Liechtenstein gasped, her eyes wide with panic. "You're not... leaving me, are you? I _need_ you!"

"I... I'm not necessarily _leaving_, exactly... I don't know how to say this. I-"

"Wait a minute," Liechtenstein finally understood. "It's what killed Austria, isn't it? You... have it."

Switzerland nodded slowly, not needing to say anything else. Liechtenstein burst into tears, throwing her arms around her brother. She couldn't imagine a life without him. All she could do was sob into Switzerland's shoulder, his green jacket soaking up her tears.

As much as Switzerland wanted so desperately to tel his sister that everything was going to be okay, that he wasn't going anywhere, he couldn't bring himself to lie to her. He knew it would only devastate her more in the long run. So, all he could do was stroke her blond hair, trying to comfort her.

* * *

><p>Liechtenstein looked down at her brother's grave, remembering the last conversation she had with him. Even though she knew he was going to die, it didn't make the pain go away. She still wanted him back, more than anything in the world. In fact, this was the first time she had left her room in days. It was just safer there, away from the rest of the world, away from reality altogether.<p>

She held her knees close to her, burying her face in the soft pink taffeta of her skirt. The worst part of losing her brother was not knowing what to do. Not only simple things, daily chores and such, but in the long run. She had never been close at all to anyone but Switzerland. She didn't know if there was a war going on, who to trust, or even half the other countries' names. She never needed to know before, because Switzerland was always there to take care of things. Being neutral, she and her brother lived in their own little world, separate from everything else.

Liechtenstein's train of thought was soon interrupted by footsteps, rustling the green grass, softly approaching. Looking up, she saw Hungary sit down next to Austria's headstone, placing a bouquet of small white flowers in front of it. Hungary looked over at Liechtenstein, as if not knowing exactly what to say.

"I was wondering when I was going to see you here," she said, her voice almost carried away by the breeze. "How are you holding up?"

For a moment, Liechtenstein didn't say anything at all, just rubbing her already red eyes with her hands. "I- I've never felt so alone. I have to care for myself now, but I don't know how. Switzerland was always there, holding my hand the entire way. And now, I'm just so... lost." She looked down at the dirt in front of her, the grass rudely disrupted, like everything else in her life. "Did you feel that way, when Austria died?"

"I still do," Hungary replied. "That's one reason I come here, every day. I come and think about all the things I wish I could tell Austria, and I leave a fresh bouquet of Edelweiss. It helps me to feel like he's not really gone."

"Wait a second... Edelweiss?" Liechtenstein stared at the blossoms in her own hand.

Hungary nodded. "They were always Austria's favorite... Why do you ask?"

"Switzerland liked them... I brought some for him too." Liechtenstein gestured to the group of flowers she had picked that morning.

Hungary half-giggled. "And they both tried so hard to prove they weren't _anything _like each other..."

The two girls laughed for a minute. "What I don't understand," Liechtenstein commented. "Is why Switzerland didn't like Austria... We had lunch with him, and he seemed nice enough."

Hungary's smile turned into a look of curiosity. "I'm not sure. They actually used to be friends, when we were all kids, but something happened between them. Austria never really talked about it much."

"HUNGARYYYYY!" a voice called, startling the two girls. Italy came running towards them, nearly falling as he skidded to a less-than-graceful stop. "Hungary! ',andthatitwasreallyurgent!''tlikerunningandGermany'salwaysmakingmerun! So anyway, we should probably go! Hi, Liechshtenshtien!"

Hungary stood up, brushing grass off her skirt."Wait a second, Italy," she said, confused. "You're talking too fast. I can't understand you. What did you say?"

Italy took a minute to catch his breath before trying again. "Germany wanted me to get you. He said it was really important."

"Uh... okay..." she turned to Liechtenstein. "I guess I have to go, but I'll see you later, okay?"

Liechtenstein nodded. As Hungary turned to leave, Liechtenstein reached out, softly calling, "W-wait!" She looked sheepishly up at Hungary. "Do you think maybe... We could be friends?"

Hungary knelt down, and hugged the little blonde girl closely. "I thought you would never ask," she whispered. Liechtenstein hugged her back, glad she wasn't alone in the world anymore. _Maybe,_ she thought, _just maybe... Things will get better now._

As Hungary and Italy walked into the distance, Liechtenstein could just imagine how furious Switzerland would be. His own sister, being friends with one of _Austria's_ companions. If he were there, he would never have allowed it. Nor would Austria have allowed his former wife, and closest ally, to associate herself with _Switzerland's_ "type".

But to the girls, the time for old rivalries was gone. Together, they could put back the pieces of their fractured lives.

* * *

><p>England paced the perimeter of his library. He was running out of ideas, and he was running out of time. Sooner or later, the other countries would see the metaphorical blood on his hands. He couldn't let that happen. <em>They won't find out,<em> he tried to convince himself. _You just have to buy yourself time to try and fix this mess. Then, everyone will simply think this was just another epidemic. A plague. It's not uncommon to have a plague every now and then... right?_ He picked yet another book from the shelves lining his library walls, flipping through the pages.

Frustrated, he laid his forehead on the desk, the words in front of him blurring together. _What's the use? _He asked himself. _They're all going to find out eventually. I might as well give up now._

As England closed his eyes, he heard a faint melody coming from the hall outside. The soft tune of a piano floated through the air, gradually getting louder. _That's it, _England thought. _I've finally lost my mind... Where is that music even coming from? _Following the sound, he recognized the tune. It was the "draw a circle" song Austria had composed before he died, but it didn't have the same comforting, everything-is-going-to-be-okay feeling. It was harsher, almost accusing.

The music continued to steadily gain volume as England reached the hallway, where Austria was, his hands gliding across the keys of a blindingly white piano. "Why are you here, Austria?" England questioned the apparition. "I already told you I can't do anything!"

Austria stopped playing, though the music continued to echo throughout the hallway. His eyes, paler than usual, locked with England's, and seemed to stare straight through him. "I don't care about your excuses. You know why I'm here. You can lie all you like to me, and you may make the rest of the world believe your stories, but you can't lie to yourself."

"I-I'm not lying to anybody! I'm just trying to buy time until I can find a cure, and stop this before anyone else gets hurt!"

"You know, I really don't think he's listening," another voice came from behind England. Turning around, he saw Switzerland walking slowly towards him. His face was expressionless, though he had the same accusatory stare that Austria wore.

"N-not you too," England stuttered. "I already have him pestering me incessantly. I don't need another ghost after me!"

"You know how to make us leave," Switzerland stated, mere inches away from England. "So what's stopping you?"

England took a step back, finding Austria closer than he anticipated. "Look, I've tried every spell I can think of! It's not possible!" He found himself having to shout over the now deafening strains of music.

"I gave you everything you need," Austria said calmly. "You simply need to pay attention to something other than your own selfishness, and-"

"You didn't 'give' me anything!" England snapped. "All you have done is show up, and tell me cryptic riddles that don't mean anything! Neither you or Switzerland have any sway over me! I'm the United bloody Kingdom, and DON'T YOU FORGET IT!"

Just like that, the music stopped, and the two phantoms faded away, without another word. For a fraction of a second, England thought he saw a third figure, lurking in the shadows. Completely cloaked in black, this mysterious being sent a cold shiver down England's spine. Blinking, he saw it no more.

"Hey dude," a familiar voice called, jerking England out of his almost-trance. "Who ya talking to?"

England cleared his throat, straightening his coat before replying. "What are you doing here, America?"

America, followed by the other members of the Allies, appeared from around the corner. "Well, you said you wanted to talk to us," America started. "Is this a bad time? 'Cause I mean, if you're busy talking to your floating fairy rabbit, or whatever..."

"Flying mint bunny!" England corrected. "And for the record, I haven't seen him in weeks. Anyway, I'm fine, and I do need to speak with you all. I have information on what may have killed Austria and Switzerland, and I have a pretty good idea who's behind it."

As the five... no... six, of them sat down in the living room, England questioned whether it was indeed wise to ignore Austria's warning.

And why the other countries avoided his scones as though they carried the plague...

* * *

><p>"Germany, we're here!" Italy called, entering Germany's house without bothering to knock. "Is there pasta? I'm starving!"<p>

The newcomers found the others in Germany's kitchen. Germany looked even more stoic and serious than usual, if that was possible. He paced slowly around the room, hands in his pockets. This was an unusual stance, as he only held his hands in his pockets if he was extremely worried about something. Prussia sat in one of the six identical chairs surrounding the kitchen table, taking a drink from the half-empty beer bottle in his hand. Japan had his back to the entire group, gazing out the window as though lost in his own thoughts. Though it wasn't uncommon for Japan to be rather quiet, the entire room was filled with an unbreakable tension.

"I'm glad you could make it," Germany stated, in his usual business-like tone. "We need to do something about England, before anyone else gets hurt-"

"Wait a second," Hungary interrupted, taking a seat across from Prussia. "Someone got hurt? And what's wrong with England?"

Germany looked over at Italy. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"Uh..." Italy tried to remember what he said. "Oh. I knew I was forgetting something..."

Germany shook his head with disappointment. "We believe England is somehow connected to what happened to Austria and Switzerland. However, we haven't been able to prove anything, because all we've had is theories."

"But you said someone got hurt... Who? What happened?"

"England attacked me the other day," Japan said, turning away from the window, revealing his face, covered with various cuts and bruises. He looked as though he fell down a flight of stairs, and met an angry gorilla at the bottom.

Hungary gasped. "England did this to you? Why? When?"

Japan sat down at the table, not making eye contact with anyone. It was apparent he was ashamed of his injuries. "When we all met at America-san's home. He knows we know he had Mr. Austria's journal."

* * *

><p>Japan sat in the corner of America's recording studio, reading his sheet music. He had just finished recording his song. He looked up as England approached him.<p>

"Can I speak with you for a moment, Japan?" He asked with a smile. A smile that looked a little too friendly. Even without japan's keen ability to sense the mood, England would have seemed a little fake. Regardless, Japan didn't want to seem rude. He nodded, setting down his papers, following England outside.

Outside, England's demeanor quickly changed. "Where is it?" he demanded angrily, pushing Japan into the wall. "I know you stole it from me."

"I don't understand what you are talking about," Japan replied, trying to keep his composure. Inwardly, however, he was starting to panic.

"You know bloody well what I'm talking about," England hissed. "I know you have Austria's diary. You took it from my home, and replaced it with this!" He held up the false diary Germany had created, throwing it to the ground at Japan's feet.

Japan quickly connected the pieces before responding. _We didn't get the correct journal though... This must mean that someone else _did_ take it, and that there must be something in there that England wants..._

England struck Japan, as if thinking it would make him respond faster. "Just tell me what you've done with it!" he shouted, stepping closer to him. He was now mere inches from him, anger apparent in his eyes.

Japan flipped the stray strands of his jet black hair away from his face, staring directly back at England, revealing to him no emotion. "Austria's journal has never been in my possession, or that of any of the other Axis nations," he declared. "And I have no knowledge of where it is."

"Let me tell you something, Japan," England threatened, not satisfied with his fellow nation's answer. He grabbed Japan's jaw, holding his face tightly. "I know that you and your little axis group stole that journal from me, and I intend to get it back. You _will _tell me what you did with it, sooner or later. Let me know when you change your mind."

With that, he threw Japan to the ground with one final blow, and walked away.

As Japan got to his feet, dirt and grass stains marring his normally white uniform, his head spun with questions. Why had England become so confrontational? Japan had never seen him so violent; it was like he had turned into a completely different person. Was this going to mean the start of another war? Who actually took the journal?

Whoever it was, Japan was sure they would suffer worse than he, should England ever find them.

* * *

><p>"I've called you here to discuss a matter of extreme importance," England addressed his fellow Allies, hoping they would believe him. After Austria and Switzerland's visit, he was more than a bit shaken. However, he had spent so much time practicing his story, he was starting to accept it himself. "I may have information regarding recent events. I believe that the Axis are responsible for Austria and Switzerland's deaths."<p>

Chatter filled the room. Everyone was voicing either their confusion or their battle plans. "That makes no sense," France stated. "How can anyone be 'responsible' for a disease? Plus, Austria was always on good terms with the Axis, and Switzerland was neutral."

"I already thought of that," England countered, unwilling to let France of all people unravel his story. "And my answer is very simple. Prussia has always wanted Austria dead. So, he released some sort of virus, but couldn't keep it contained. Later, when Germany discovered what his brother had done, he enlisted the other Axis nations to help cover it up. Don't you think it's more than a little odd that the day after Hungary found a vital clue, that clue went missing? As I recall, the only people who could have possibly had possession of it were Hungary, Italy, and Prussia, when he went to wake Hungary up after everyone had gotten there..."

_This still doesn't add up..._ Canada considered as England went on explaining his theory. _Italy's part of the Axis... If they were trying to cover something up, why would Italy have called everyone, telling them what he and Hungary found?_ "H-hey, England?" he asked, hoping to have his question heard.

Not surprisingly, England didn't even notice Canada speaking up. "In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before one of us becomes their next target, especially because we know what they're up to."

England's speech was actually starting to take effect on the others. "I say we fight these guys again!" America nearly shouted, standing suddenly to his feet, his fist in the air. "Let's all unite under my flag!"

China, Russia, and France all moaned at the thought of having America lead them into battle against anyone. "There is no way I'm fighting with you," France argued. "Your military uniforms are nowhere near flattering to anyone, even me!"

As everyone started debating fashion, Russia's cell phone rang, silencing the room. He answered it after the second ring, seeing his sister's name flash across the screen. "Hello?"

Although the others couldn't make out what she was saying, Ukraine's frantic voice could be heard coming through the phone. Russia covered his ear, trying to make out what she was trying to say between her sobs. "Hey, sis, calm down, I can't understand what you're saying," he told her. After a couple deep breaths, Ukraine tried again to communicate. Russia listened intently, his expression changing quickly from confusion to concern, then finally to a look of worry. "I'm on my way," he said, shutting the phone and sliding it back into his pocket with one swift motion.

"I need to go," he explained to his allies. "According to Ukraine, Belarus fainted earlier today, and started coughing up blood when she woke up. I don't know if it's related at all to what happened to Austria and Switzerland, but..."

England nodded solemnly. "Go. Be with your sisters; they need you."

Russia added one final comment before leaving. "If my sister dies, so does one of them," he vowed, walking briskly out the door, his long tan coat sweeping behind him.

_I have to find the real story... _Canada told himself. _Before Russia, or someone else, starts a war. Something just isn't right. _"Not that any of you care, but I'm gonna go too..." He waited a minute, to see if there were any objections. Receiving no response from anyone else in the room, he and Kumajiro left, not receiving so much as a glance from any of the other countries.

* * *

><p>"However England is involved in all this, I think it's obvious that he's going to be important if we ever hope to fix it," Hungary stated. "I've also been looking through Austria's journal, but I haven't found anything yet-" There was a sudden knock at the door, startling everyone.<p>

"I'll get it!" Prussia declared, tripping over his chair as he attempted to stand. Taking a moment to steady himself, he started for the door in a somewhat zig-zag line.

"Out of curiosity," Hungary asked, slightly concerned. "How many beers has he had today?"

Prussia's brother sighed. "Obviously a few too many..."

The others watched as Prussia answered the door, partly to see who it was, and partly to make sure Prussia made it to the door in his intoxicated state. "Hey, Canada!" He greeted the small blond nation. "How ya doing?"

Canada bit his lip, looking like the bearer of yet more bad news. "Well, um... I-I, well, there's something important I need to ask... Could I come in?"

Prussia nodded, opening the door wider. "Sure, make yourself at home!"

As Canada timidly stepped through the door, Germany, Hungary, and Italy came out from the other room, Japan staying behind. From the way Canada was acting, it sounded like something either very serious or very bad had happened, possibly both.

"Oh, I didn't know you were all here..." Canada commented upon seeing the gathering. "I-is this a bad time? I-I can come back-"

"Nah, it's fine!" Prussia interrupted. "We were just talking. So what's up?"

Canada looked down at the ground, not sure exactly what to say, hoping the tan carpet would somehow give him the words. "Well, I was just at England's, and, well..."

Germany stepped forward. "Hold on, England sent you?"

"No, I came here on my own," Canada corrected, shaking his head vigorously. "England was holding a meeting of the Allies, and he was talking about all of you guys. He's blaming the Axis for what happened to Austria and Switzerland, but... I don't know, something about his explanation just doesn't add up."

"What exactly is he saying about us?" Germany inquired.

Canada explained the things England had said, down to every last piece of his made-up theory. During this, Japan joined the others, listening intently as the confusion spread across everyone's faces.

"As for Austria's journal, England thinks that Prussia took it, that morning we were all over at your house, Hungary." Canada said as he finished his explanation.

Hungary shook her head. "I thought so at first, but I was wrong. I have the journal. Apparently England stole it himself that morning. We- the Axis, Prussia, and I- think he may be trying to hide something. And if what you say is true, we need to find out what that is, before any more damage is caused."

With this thought lingering in their minds, the meeting ended. Canada was shocked how much the Axis countries welcomed him. Not to mention, Prussia was the only person who seemed to remember him at all, much unlike the Allies. For once he actually felt like part of a group, not being left behind, forgotten. He liked being remembered.

"By the way," Kumajiro piped up. "Who are you?"

And all at once, Canada felt like crying all over again.

* * *

><p>The sun was just starting to set as Hungary made her way slowly back to her home. She gazed up at at the sky, painted brilliant shades of fuchsia, red and gold, the last rays of sunlight stretching across the vast empty sky, the first bright stars shining, announcing the imminent arrival of night. She closed her eyes, remembering how the sunset used to stream through the windows of the piano room, flooding the interior with a pink glow, remembering Austria pausing his music to turn on the lights, so he could continue despite the darkness. Sadly, these memories were only that; she could only be with them in her mind.<p>

Hungary opened her bright green eyes, hearing a faint sob to her right. She saw a small blonde girl sitting by herself on the curb, her face buried in her arms, a dark brown suitcase beside her. If it hadn't been for the small purple ribbon in her hair, Hungary wouldn't have recognized her.

"Liechtenstein?"

The girl looked up, startled. She looked around, finally seeing the only other person on the street. "Oh, hello Hungary," she greeted her sullenly.

"What are you doing here, all by yourself? What's with the suitcase?"

Liechtenstein wiped her tear-stained face with her hands. "Switzerland's boss kicked me out," she explained. "He said I had no right living there anymore, with him being gone."

"What? That's awful!" Hungary said, sitting down next to her. "Where will you go?"

Liechtenstein shrugged. "I don't really know anyone else, so I guess just... I don't know!" she sobbed, bursting into tears again.

"Shh, it's okay," Hungary tried to console the small girl, putting her arms around her protectively. There was one thing she knew for sure: she was not about to let Liechtenstein spend the night in the cold, after all she had been through. "You can stay with me, okay?"

Liechtenstein looked back at Hungary, unsure. "I-I don't want to intrude, or be a nuisance," she said. "I-"

"Look," Hungary interjected. "It's not being a nuisance if I offer. Besides, friends help each other when they need it." She stood up, taking the handle of Liechtenstein's small traveling bag, and held her hand out to her. Liechtenstein took it, tears still running down her cheeks. As she walked with Hungary, she thought about how thankful she was to not be alone.

**Happy thanksgiving everyone! You know what I'm thankful for? THIS CHAPTER IS FINALLY DONE! This seemed like it was never. Going. To. END! I'm so glad I got it done :D In case you haven't noticed, England is kinda the villain of this story. Just to make things clear, I have nothing against the character, the country, or English people (I'm part English, and... yeah. I'm not prejudiced against myself). It's just... Oh, whatever. You'll find out yourself if you keep reading. I also have nothing against the Swiss government. Anyway, I promise I will never make you guys wait this long for an update, if I can help it at all. Oh and to my friend Germany: This was exactly 10 ½ pages, so I don't want to hear one peep from you about this being too short!**


	9. Misunderstanding

**Hello again, everyone! I'm getting a head start on writing this chapter, and I'm going to email it to myself later, so hopefully nothing disastrous happens to this chapter like chapter 8. *knocking on wood* Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter and THANK YOU to everyone for being so patient waiting for chapter 8 to be finished! I love you all so much :D So... I don't want to go on and on, so I'll just get on with the story.**

"RUSSSIIIIAAAA!" As Russia gently closed the front door of his sisters' home, he heard his older sister shout his name, running down the hall. She threw her arms around his neck, sobbing heavily into his shoulder. She was saying something, but her voice was distorted by her crying, and muffled by Russia's thick tan coat.

"It's okay, Sis. I'm here,"Russia consoled her, returning her embrace. Although he didn't show it, he felt the same way Ukraine did. Belarus had never been on Russia's list of favorite people in the world. In fact, there were times he was downright terrified of her. Regardless, she was- and always would be- his baby sister, and he didn't want any harm to come to her.

Still in hysterics, though somewhat calmer, Ukraine led her brother to Belarus's room. "She's been asking for you," she explained. Belarus was curled up in her bed, shivering despite being underneath several blankets. Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of the door.

"B-big brother?" she inquired through chattering teeth. For a moment, Russia almost didn't believe this could possibly be his sister. The girl he knew was strong-willed, aggressive, and had a constant fire in her eyes. In her current state, Belarus looked meek and helpless. Belarus had been many things, not all of them good, but helpless had _never_ been one of them.

"It's me," he assured her, kneeling beside her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"C-c-cold," she stuttered in reply. Removing his black glove, Russia placed a hand on his younger sister's clammy forehead, pushing her blonde bangs aside. Indeed, she was freezing. He took his cream-colored scarf from around his neck, wrapping it around hers. Belarus accepted the offering, closing her eyes, sorrow evident on her face. "I wish I didn't have to die," she said quietly. "To get you to love me."

"You're not going to die," Russia told her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "And I... I do love you. I never wanted to marry you, but I always loved you. You're my baby sister."

Belarus opened her powder-blue eyes, sitting up weakly. As she did so, she started coughing, her lips and fingertips becoming stained with blood. She met eyes with her brother, her face looking unusually soft and delicate, as though she were a porcelain doll that could be easily shattered. In her eyes, however, anyone could see she was already broken. "You're lying," she said. "I can tell. But I'm going to believe you, because it doesn't matter anymore." She too started crying, clinging desperately to Russia. She started coughing again, gasping for air, every breath a struggle.

Russia held Belarus close to him, stroking her long hair, seeing the light leave her eyes as she drew her final breath.

… … …

Canada buttoned up his fluffy coat, heading quietly to the door. Even though there wasn't _technically _anything wrong with him going out, he didn't want to wake France. That would just lead to questions, and Canada didn't have time for that. Plus, with England's rumours, he was pretty certain France wouldn't like the idea of him going to meet up with Prussia.

"Come on, Kumajirou," he whispered to his polar bear, who has lagging several steps behind. He scooped the small cub in his arm, reaching with his spare hand for the doorknob.

"Canada, where do you think you are going?" France's voice called from behind him.

_Oh, crap._ "Um... Uh... Well, uh..." Canada stuttered. "Just... going out, to... meet up with... a friend?" Canada smiled nervously, trying to look natural. "I'll be back soon... ish, I think..."

France eyed him suspiciously. "I see," he hinted. "So this 'friend' is a mademoiselle you are sneaking off to meet!"

Canada was horrified. "What? N-no! It's not like that! I'm just going to hang out with a friend-"

France put his arm around Canada. The smell of his rose-scented cologne (which not many men can get away with) almost seemed oppressively strong. "It's okay, Canada," France reassured him. "I understand. In fact, I am proud of you. Just knowing that this is the first time you will ever-"

Canada shrugged out from under France's arm. "No! No! Y-you have it all wrong! I'm going to meet with a _guy_!"

France gasped slightly, as a look of astonishment spread across his face. "Mon cher," he said softly. "I had no idea..." he went on to say how proud he was of Canada, and how few men are brave enough to come out of the closet.

_Oh, God. What have I gotten myself into? _"N-no, I didn't mean that either... Um... He's just, you know, a friend... Not anything like... _that_..." Canada was, at this point, blushing bright red. This was one of the many reasons he wanted to just sneak out quietly. France always... _Assumed_ things.

Then France asked the worst question yet. "Who?" he inquired, raising his eyebrows. He had that look in his eyes, that slightly cocky, inquisitive look, like a parent has with a child, when they know they're lying. The look that said Canada couldn't hide his secret for much longer.

"Uhh... Um... I... I can't tell you."

"So it _is _a rendezvous with a lover!"

"NO!"

France smirked once again, that almost arrogant smirk he was so good at. "Well, if it's just a friend, as you say, then you won't mind if I join you."

With that, France once again put his arm over Canada, opening the door. Canada groaned silently, failing to find a way to get rid of France. No matter what he said, France would have either gone with him, or assumed... things... Reluctantly, Canada started off toward the World Conference Hall with France.

The walk wasn't very long from France's home, and the two spent most of the time in a somewhat awkward sort of silence. France still had that smug look on his face, and Canada was just trying to figure out how to not start World War 3. He stared at the sidewalk below him, his shadow faint in the early morning light.

Thankfully, when they arrived, there was still no sign of Prussia. _Maybe I can warn him,_ Canada wondered, setting down Kumajiro and pulling his cell phone from his pocket. _Tell him not to come, or someth-_

The sound of the door behind him interrupted Canada's thought. Prussia walked in, giving Canada a half questioning, half suspicious glance upon seeing France. Canada could only respond with an apologetic shrug, mouthing the words "I'm sorry". Prussia understood, giving the slightest head nod, as if to say, "It's okay."

France stepped in front of Canada. "What the hell are you doing here, Prussia?" he questioned, with a glare that was somewhere between "I want to kill you" and "I want to rape you". It was... creepy, to say the least, but that was just the way France was.

"Oh, I'm just out for a walk," Prussia replied, casually strolling the perimeter of the large meeting room. "I come here by myself sometimes-"

"Let me guess," France interrupted. "You've come to figure out who your next target is going to be? Or have you come to spy on me and Canada?"

Canada glanced nervously between the two, not liking the way the conversation was headed. He stepped away from France, little by little, trying to get a look around the room. Maybe he could find some incriminating evidence against England before the argument escalated, or before France figured out that there was no one but Prussia that was going to show up.

"What do you mean 'my next target'?" Prussia asked, faking ignorance, and buying Canada some time.

… … …

Russia stormed through his home, fuming with anger and grief. He was out for blood, and no one was going to stand in his way, least of all the three Baltic nations who were currently in the kitchen, cowering in fear from him.

"America must have said something stupid again," Estonia guessed. "We should go try to calm him down, so we don't get even more of a beating."

Lithuania nodded in agreement, grabbing a full bottle of vodka from a nearby shelf.

"I don't want to go!" Latvia cried helplessly. "He scares me when he's mad!"

"Come on," Lithuania pleaded, taking his fellow subordinate by the arm. "If one of us is missing, we'll all pay for it! Just please, try not to say anything this time, okay?" Latvia, the smallest of the Baltics, was infamous for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. All the time. And neither Lithuania or Estonia wanted to be punished for his lack of restraint.

"Welcome home, sir!" Lithuania greeted Russia, attempting a nervous half-smile. The others followed, reluctantly leaving the safety of the other room.

Russia barely even glanced in the Baltics' direction as he swept past them. As they rushed to keep up with him, Lithuania tried again to get his attention. "Would you like some vodka?" he inquired, offering the bottle in his hand.

"Not now," Russia hissed abruptly as he kept walking. "Where is my gun?"

Fearing for their own safety at the word "gun", Estonia and Lithuania exchanged worried glances. "Are you sure you don't want just a little?" Lithuania persisted. "It always puts you in a better m-"

"I said _NOT NOW_!" Russia roared. He took the bottle from Lithuania's grasp, throwing it to the floor. It shattered, sending glass and alcohol in every direction. The smaller nations stood there, stunned at this display. It was common for Russia to be angry, but he had never purposely wasted an entire bottle of vodka, his favorite drink.

"I will only ask this one more time," he continued, his voice piercing the stunned silence. "Where. Is. My. Gun?"

"It's on your dresser, sir!" Latvia piped up, receiving panicked looks from his peers. "But please don't kill us. We haven't done anything wr-"

Estonia clapped his hand over Latvia's mouth, silencing him. His logic was very simple. Angry Russia, plus loaded weapon, plus three innocent little nations… It could only lead to disaster.

Russia ignored Latvia's outburst, simply walking away towards his bedroom, paying no attention to the shards of glass he was stepping on. Estonia still held Latvia tightly, as the three stared after their master down the empty hall. They were still in shock over what they had just seen. Whatever happened to Russia, it was bigger than simply America offending him again.

"Russia, sir," Lithuania called as Russia returned a minute later, carrying his 7.62 mm Tokarev handgun. "W-what exactly has happened?"

"Belarus is dead," he replied coldly, his light purple eyes somewhat demonic-looking. "And now those Axis guys are going to pay."

… … …

"You know exactly what I mean!" France snapped.

Canada continued to examine the various things in the room, not exactly sure what he was even looking for. Nothing looked any different than it always looked. The vases of colorful flowers on the long table, a stack of extra chairs pushed to one side of the room. A painting or two placed strategically between the large windows. Frustrated, he went to his seat, Prussia and France still quarreling.

"Canada," France grumbled, obviously irritated and growing impatient. "When is your 'friend' supposed to get here?"

"I don't know, France," Canada replied, pulling out his chair. "I- I guess they're not coming, or something…"

"Canada, STOP!" France shouted suddenly, running for Canada, his eyes wide.

Canada looked up, alarmed. "Huh? W-what did I do?" He never handled people yelling at him very well, especially when he didn't know why he was being yelled at.

"No, you didn't do anything. Turn around, and look what you almost sat in."

Canada turned, looking down at his chair. It was just a chair. Just a red, upholstered chair, just like all the others in the room. He glanced down the row of seats before him, starting to notice slight differences. His was a slightly darker wood, a little older looking, but it was still just a chair. Sure, it didn't have the fleur-de-lis print the others did, but did that really mean anything?

"It's just a chair," he said. "Wait a second…" Then he recognized it. He remembered being on a beach, with the other Allies and the Axis countries, seeing England standing in the middle of the ocean, standing next to a chair. _That_ chair.

"I think we found what we were looking for," Prussia commented solemnly.

"Wait, who is 'we'?" France asked, before finally connecting the dots. He opened his mouth to speak, but Canada cut him off.

'Look, I know what you're going to say, but _please_ hear me out," he said desperately. "No, I didn't lie to you... exactly. I came here, because I was going to meet Prussia here. The Axis didn't have anything to do with Austria or Switzerland's death. They, as well as Hungary and myself, believed England was responsible, at least in part. We came here looking for proof, and now we've found it."

France considered this theory for a moment, realizing that it made more sense than England's propaganda. The room was silent, before the quiet vibrating of Prussia's cell phone.

He fished the phone from his pocket, reading the screen

_New text Message_

_From:West_

_Priority marked as: Urgent_

_Help me._

"What's wrong?" Canada inquired, seeing the bewildered, concerned look on Prussia's face.

"It's my brother," he replied. "I think something's majorly wrong back at home."

"We'll come with you," France offered.

… … …

_Message sent_

Germany closed his eyes in relief as those words flashed across his own cell phone's screen. He watched Russia pace back and forth in front of him, a gun pointed toward where he and Italy sat, on the floor of Germany's kitchen. He looked over at his friend, who had been crying for the past ten minutes, waving his home-made white flag helplessly, mumbling something about not wanting to die. Japan sat in his own corner, his head down, and his eyes closed. He was in planning mode.

"So, Germany," Russia said. "I know your brother is bound to be here somewhere, now where is he?"

"I told you," Germany answered bitterly. "He isn't here. You're wasting your time."

Russia knelt down to Germany's level. "And as I told you, if you tell don't tell me where Prussia is, I start killing you off one by one." He stood up, strolling casually around the small room.

"If you kill me now, you never get your answer."

Russia smiled, an insidious, devious smile. I never said I would start with you. I'm not an idiot. Maybe I'll start with... Italy, perhaps?" He pointed his handgun at the small country beside Germany.

At the sound of his name, Italy cried even harder, hiding behind his white flag."Please, don't shoot me! I don't want to die! I surrender! I'll do anything you tell me to! Just please don't kill meee!"

"No!" Germany shouting, pushing Italy out of the way. He grabbed Russia's wrist, trying to aim the weapon away from either of his allies. The gun went off, sending a bullet through the ceiling that was obviously meant for one of them. Japan leapt up suddenly, rolling across the table, picking up his katana.

"Put the gun down, Russia," he commanded, removing his sword from its sheath.

Russia wrestled his own weapon from Germany's grasp, shoving Germany back to the floor next to Italy. "Japan," he said calmly. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to bring a sword to a gun fight?"

Just then, the front door slammed open, Prussia running in, followed by France and Canada. "Bruder!" he called, skidding to a stop when he realized what he walked into.

"Prussia, how nice of you to join us," Russia stated, changing his aim towards his new target."Now I get to kill you!"

"Russia, no!" Canada yelled, stepping in front of Prussia. "You have it all wrong!"

Russia lowered his weapon slightly, not wanting to harm Canada. "I don't care. Move."

Canada stayed right where he was. "The Axis aren't the ones to blame. We know who is, and we can prove it."

**Alright, I'm going to end here. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm just that cruel :P Anyway, please leave a review! Pretty please? Also, for all you real-life Switzerlands, if I made a mistake mentioning Russia's gun, blame my brother. Anyway, thanks to all of you for being so patient, I really love all of you (especially the ones who actually read all of these annoying little notes) So, hope you like this chapter, and I REALLY hope to hear from you guys!**


	10. Love and Loss

**Hey everyone. So... yeah. Starting this chapter the day I posted chapter 9, because I don't want a certain SOMEBODY *coughCanadacough* to get mad at me for not writing. It's taking me a lot longer than I anticipated to write this, because I've been overloaded with school stuff *stupid senior project*. I also have a new personal dream: I want to get a pilot's license, and hopefully someday make enough money to buy my own plane, preferably a WW2 German or Italian fighter XD I know it'll never happen, but I can dream, can't I? Anyway, I know it's been a really long time waiting for this chapter, and I apologize for that... Everything's been really going crazy right now. I won't go into details, because it's kinda personal, but thanks for being patient. Here's chapter 10. Enjoy.**

"It's true, mon ami."

"Just please, Russia, put the gun down."

For a while, no one moved, no one breathed. Canada shut his eyes tightly, expecting at any moment to hear the sharp sound of Russia pulling the trigger of his gun, and his life ending. He clenched his fists. Any second, he would feel the pain of the bullet, possibly going through him to Prussia, who he was standing in front of to protect. Any second...

Russia slowly, but surely, lowered his aim. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly, looking between France and Canada.

The entire room breathed a collective sigh of relief. Canada cautiously opened one eye, then the other. "We found evidence that proves England was behind Austria and Switzerland's deaths. The Axis had nothing to do with it."

"Show me," was all Russia said, as he placed his weapon on the table. Japan sheathed his katana, and Germany stood from where he previously was.

Germany looked down at Italy. In a matter of minutes, he had grown extremely pale, an exhausted expression taking over his usually exuberant face. He struggled to stand, stumbling to his feet. "Italy," Germany said, concerned. "Are you okay? You don't look well."

Italy looked up at Germany, nodding. "I- I'm fine," he replied.

As everyone left the room, Italy trudged at the back of the group. He took out his phone, pulling his brother's number from his speed dial.

"Hi, Romano? I-it's me, Veneziano..."

* * *

><p>Hungary wandered around the empty halls of her house, with Austria's journal in one hand, and a notepad in the other. She had been writing down the symptoms Austria had talked about in his journal, waiting for Prussia or Canada to call with news, beginning to wonder what had happened. If they had actually found something, they would have called... right? After all, that had been the plan... Unless they forgot to call... Maybe she should call them?<p>

She stopped, hearing voices from behind the closed piano room door. Tiptoeing closer, she recognized the voices as Austria's former boss, speaking to her own boss.

"I don't know what will happen to the people of Austria, if they don't have a country," Austria's boss was saying. "And I certainly don't want someone like Prussia seeing this as an opportunity to take over."

"So you're proposing Hungary should take over his responsibilities?"

Hungary gasped. She hadn't even thought of what would happen to Austria's people. Without a nation, could they even survive? Their government would certainly collapse, and other nations would probably try to take over. No, they _would _take over. The Austrians wouldn't be able to protect their land, without a nation... would they?

"Austria trusted her more than anyone else," Austria's boss stated.

"I know that, but she's been put under a tremendous amount of pressure, all in the last week. She's even taken in that Liechtenstein girl. I understand you're trying to do the right thing for your country, but I'm just doing the same for mine."

_Why aren't I in this conversation? _Hungary wondered. _Shouldn't this be _my _decision to make?_

"Did I mention that he was planning to marry her again?"

Hungary's jaw dropped, as there was a moment of silence on the other side of the door. She leaned against the wall, her head spinning. Austria wanted to marry her again... He wanted to marry her again... She just couldn't get past the thought.

"I suppose I'll discuss it with her. I don't want her doing anything rash-"

Too late. Hungary seized the doorknob, jerking the door open. "I'll do it," she said boldly.

* * *

><p>Spain knocked on Romano's bedroom door, concerned when he heard his yelling. He entered the room just as Romano hung up his cell phone. "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting beside Romano on his bed. "Who was that on the phone?"<p>

Romano turned away from Spain, obviously irritated by the sudden intrusion. "Just my stupid brother," he replied, throwing the blanket over his head, turning away from Spain. "Why does it matter? Are you trying to 'check up on me' like I'm some little kid?"

"I know you're not a kid, Romano," Spain told him, placing a calming hand on Romano's shoulder. "But I do care about you, and so does your hermano. He's probably just worried about you."

"Yeah, well he has no reason to!" Romano snapped, whipping the blanket off his head as he sat up suddenly. He looked unusually pale, sinking back down into his pillow as he felt a rush of dizziness. "And neither do you, so just leave me alone!"

Spain saw that Romano was just going to keep being stubborn. He crossed his arms across his chest in determination, saying, "No. I'm not going to leave you alone. And do you want to know why?"

Romano said nothing, only responding to the question with a harsh glare.

"I'm not going to leave you because..." Spain paused, unfolding his arms. "Because... Close your eyes."

Romano was hesitant, giving Spain a slightly suspicious glance, but slowly obeyed. He was confused, but Spain was one of the few people Romano actually trusted.

Spain waited a moment, making sure Romano's eyes were actually closed, then leaned forward slightly, touching Romano's cheek softly with his fingertips. He kissed him, gently pressing his lips against Romano's. He held the kiss for a moment, before drawing back.

"Te amo, Romano," he whispered.

Romano's eye were wide open, as he stared at Spain. The look of pure shock on his face said he clearly wasn't expecting to be kissed. _At all._ Shock slowly turned to embarrassment, as Romano realized what exactly happened. Turning a bright shade of red, he found himself unable to look at Spain. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the wall.

"Bastard," he muttered at last, barely glancing at Spain. Tears stung his eyes, threatening to fall, as he blinked to keep them back. There was no way he was about to cry. Not in front of Spain.

"Romano, what's wrong?" Spain inquired. "Please, just tell me. Whatever it is, I'm sure it can be fixed."

"Romano shook his head solemnly. "It can't. I..." His voice broke, as he struggled to fight the tears behind his eyes. He looked up at Spain, and said the one thing Spain never wanted him to say.

"I'm next. I'm... going to die."

* * *

><p>Italy laid his head down on the table in front of him, the others' voices becoming nothing more than a distant murmur. He didn't know what was wrong, but he couldn't stop his head spinning. He felt like he was burning up, yet freezing at the same time. Above all, something inside him said he should be worried about his brother. He tried calling Romano, but only ended up being yelled at, and eventually hung up on.<p>

"Italy, are you sure you're alright?" a voice called next to him. He could barely lift up his head to look at Germany.

"Huh?"

Germany stood. "Italy, I think you need to go get some rest," he said. "I'm going to take you home."

Home... Home sounded like a good place to be. Italy nodded, getting to his feet. As Germany turned to tell the others where they were going, he trudged slowly for the door. He couldn't explain it, but every movement had suddenly become difficult.

Italy got no more than a couple steps, when a sharp pain ran through him, as though a part of him was being torn apart. He let out a scream, falling to the floor in a crumpled heap. Tears streamed down is face, as he struggled to breathe. He vaguely heard Germany yell his name, and the other countries rush to his side, but it was all a blur. Only one thought crossed Italy's mind in that moment. One ghastly, terrible thought.

"Romano," he breathed, fearing the worst. He immediately scrambled to his feet, running for the door. _Let me be wrong_, he prayed. _Please,let me be wrong. Let Romano be okay._

Italy sprinted out into the blazing midday sun, Germany and the others running after him. "Italy! Come back!" he heard Germany shout. Italy just kept running, as fast as his legs could carry him. He ran faster than he ever had in his life, even when he was running away. Nothing before had mattered as much as this. Nothing mattered as much as Romano.

Out of breath, with salty tears dried on his cheeks, Italy burst through the front door of Spain and Romano's home. He slowed to a hurried walk, desperately searching for his brother. "Romano?" he called, his voice shaky. "Fratello? Spain?"

He walked down an empty hallway, the end of which led to Romano's bedroom. "R-Romano?" Italy cried again, picking up his pace. He stopped short in the doorway. Spain was sitting on the bed, still holding Romano's lifeless body. When Italy walked in, he looked up slowly, indescribable sorrow in his eyes. He wanted to say something to Italy, but there was nothing that could possibly be said.

"NO!" Italy screamed, running the few steps it took to cross the room. "Fratello! Why?" He fell to his knees, sobbing. In that one moment, he felt more alone than he ever had in his entire existence. Romano was more than his brother; they were each a part of the other, united as one country.

As the other countries gathered in the doorway, only Germany stepped forward into the room. He knelt beside Italy, placing a hand on his back in sympathy. Italy turned, clinging to Germany, still heaving sobs. He seemed to mutter something that sounded like a prayer, mostly in Italian. Although it was not uncommon for Italy to cry, this was different. This was an outpouring of pure, unadulterated grief.

As the others stood in the doorway, not sure what to say or do, exchanging sad glances, one thing became clear.

No country was exempt from the curse, or disease, or whatever it was. No one was safe. And try as they might, there were bound to be more deaths before it was over. There were undoubtedly going to be more tears shed, and more counties grieving.

The world was going to be changed, forever.


End file.
